Shifting Sands
by artemis7337
Summary: OneClan has swept down from the mountains, carrying their vision of a united empire to the Clans they have conquered. Not all cats are convinced, however, and now the fate of DesertClan hangs in the balance as OneClan advances.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Quick Disclaimer- this story is pretty AU. There won't be any mention of the original Clans or any characters from the series. I hope that doesn't deter anyone!**

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Prologue

Shadows streaked the grassy plain, chasing each other playfully in the moments before dawn, when no light intruded to spoil their fun. Stars glittered in the sky above, peaceful, serene. A breeze floated by, bringing the sharp scent of windblown grass to the cats perched on the small hill.

"Froststar," a dark she-cat murmured. "I'm all for the plains campaign, but are you sure about the next place? The forests to the north have a far more… _hospitable_ climate for us." Her wry voice carried subtle hints of sarcasm. Froststar smiled at his deputy, his cold blue eyes glittering in the starlight.

"I am sure, Blackflash. OneClan must conquer all the territories we encounter or face the consequences of an attack. This is a border we must secure, and the desert is no less important." The deputy's green eyes narrowed in a dangerous smile.

"Then let's get to it," she mewed, controlled excitement and wry humor mixing in her tone. "Shall I give the order to move out?"

Froststar looked out over the sweeping grassy plains and wondered at the news his scouts had brought him earlier. A vast desert, they had reported. Sands that stretched beyond the horizon, sun that scorched the fur from their backs. What cats could survive in such a place? Even his old home in the mountains had not projected such an inhospitable appearance… He stood with simple majesty, the breeze gently ruffling his fur only adding to his own confident bearing. His broad, muscular shoulders were never bowed, his huge paws never unsteady. Blackflash looked up at him with adoring eyes.

He finally turned back to her. "I will give the order," he said with a smirk. "I will be remembered in the stories as the leader who began the glorious western campaign. We shall sweep across the plains and conquer even the shifting sands with our cause. Mark my words, for one day our exploits will be written even in the stars." Blackflash drew herself up proudly, a smile spreading across her striking features.

Froststar turned to the collected cats arranged from behind him. They were the strongest of warriors, his own personal army. Each was from a different land conquered in the name of OneClan. Forest cats from the valley by the mountains, beach cats from the seashore, river cats from the marshy lands near a great lake. Each bound to a common belief in StarClan, each following him to glory and power. Froststar felt a thrumming in his heart as he looked at the mass of warriors under his command.

"OneClan! Today, we make history! Once we were small, alone in the world, squabbling over prey and meager territory that could barely feed our Clans. But this is true no longer!" His words were met by a roar of approval. "Now we are united under a common cause! Now we are _OneClan_! And, united, we shall bring the light of our new confederacy to yet more Clans." Another cheer went up from the assembled crowd. "Remember this day, for you shall be spoken of in legends to come as the cats that helped unify the Clans and bring light to the world!" The cats were excited to a fever pitch now, springing to their feet with the thrill Froststar brought them.

Froststar smiled. "Now, my brethren, forward! Forward to victory!" The light of the rising sun broke over the crest of the hill, illuminating the pure white of the leader's pelt. As the crowd let out a resounding war cry, Froststar turned and with mighty, powerful strides lead the way onto the restless grassy plain.

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**I can also put the alleigances here and update them as the story progresses if the readers prefer. Please review!**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the HighRock for a Clan meeting!" The call echoed throughout the camp, sending sparks of excitement through the pelts of the cats in the clearing. The cats of the Clan emerged from various well concealed dens in the rocky clearing. One pair of bright eyes peeked out of a dark cleft in the rock face of the hollow.

"You know, I'm not technically old enough to catch my own prey, mother," a cream colored kit said, staring out at the gathering of cats. Her cream colored mother rolled her eyes.

"Quit being so literal, Dawnkit, and just get out there." The cheeky kit scrambled out of the cave, leaving her mother to pad after her more sedately.

"Are you coming, Thistlekit, or do you want to stay in that dark old den all day?" Dawnkit called. Amber eyes glowed from the dark entrance of the den. "Furball, you're going to miss the meeting," she teased. The amber eyes narrowed and a shadow flew out of the den.

"Ha, ha, too slow," Dawnkit squealed, dodging nimbly aside.

"Just you wait, Dawnkit, I'll get you!" Thistlekit mewed. Dawnkit nudged him playfully.

"_Sure_," she said sarcastically. "And I'll turn into a lizard and you'll eat me for dinner."

"Dawnkit, stop messing around and _get over here_," Larksong growled. Dawnkit looked at her friend with suppressed amusement shining in her eyes.

"Oops, I guess I had better get over there," she said. Thistlekit laughed and shook his head.

"Good idea, genius." Dawnkit stuck out her tongue at him and made her way over to her mother. She winced as Larksong began roughly grooming her.

"We had your pelt all smooth and pretty and you had to go mess it up again," she fretted between licks.

"Hush, mother, we're going to miss Hawkstar's announcement!" Dawnkit mewed. Larksong snorted.

"Cats of DesertClan, this year has been a difficult one for us," Hawkstar began, swishing his tail with powerful strokes. "We lost Swallowtail and Featherfur during the cold season, and the prey was never scarcer than it has been recently. But now that the warm season is beginning and prey returned to our sands, we are once again in the company of good news. Life has always been harsh, but as a flower can bloom in the desert, young lives can still bloom in the Clan. Therefore, without further ado, I would like to honor the season of growth with the naming of new apprentices for our Clan."

Dawnkit gasped. "Really, mother? Why didn't you tell me?" Her green eyes filled with panic for a moment as she twisted to see her pelt.

"Your pelt is fine," Larksong murmured proudly. "Go up there and get your name." Dawnkit squeaked happily and ran up to the HighRock. Thistlekit padded up behind her just as Hawkstar's paws hit the dirt. His sleek brown pelt and the white tufts of fur on his chest dominated Dawnkit's vision for a moment until she realized she should step back. Hawkstar's green eyes were full of laughter.

Dawnkit wanted to slink back to her den in embarrassment.

"Thistlekit, from this day forward, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Thistlepaw. Batclaw, you have trained many apprentices for this Clan and have never failed to pass on your prowess and wisdom to them. I trust that you will do the same for Thistlepaw." The black furred deputy smiled and nodded, then stepped forward to touch noses with Thistlepaw. Dawnkit grinned at Thistlepaw as he and his new mentor stepped to the side.

Hawkstar smiled down at Dawnkit. Her light green eyes shimmered in the sunlight. "Dawnkit, from this day forward, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Dawnpaw. Amberslash, your previous apprentice has become a credit to the Clan. I hope you pass on your wisdom and patience to Dawnpaw." Amberslash stepped forward to touch noses with Dawnpaw. Dawnpaw's smile was radiant.

"Dawnpaw! Thistlepaw! Dawnpaw! Thistlepaw!" The Clan's voices rose as one as they chanted the new apprentices' names. Dawnpaw felt happiness rise up inside her with such force it seemed like she would shatter.

"May this remind us that the Clan will remain strong even in the darkest times!" Hawkstar concluded. The Clan dispersed, chattering happily.

"Oh, Dawnpaw! My little baby is an apprentice now," Larksong cried as she rushed up. One big lick on the head later, Dawnpaw managed to escape.

"Mother, cats are _watching_!" Dawnpaw complained playfully. "Big strong warriors don't have their mothers blubbering over them all the time!"

"Hmm, good thing you're only an apprentice then, isn't it?"

Dawnpaw rolled her eyes at her mother.

"Be good now, and make me proud. Lizardclaw and I are waiting to hear all about your training when you get back," Larksong said. Dawnpaw smiled as her mother spun and bounded away.

"So, when are we training?" Dawnpaw asked, looking up at her new mentor.

"Now. Come with me, Dawnpaw," Amberslash said, flicking her tail. Dawnpaw smiled again. Her joy kept uncontrollably bubbling over into her expressions. She smiled at Thistlepaw as she and Amberslash trotted past. He flicked his tail happily in acknowledgement. It looked like he and Batclaw were getting along well.

Amberslash padded out from the sheltered hollow of the camp, onto the sands of the open desert. Dawnpaw grinned as she set her paws on the sands for the first time. The warmth felt lovely underneath her paws.

"The first thing I'm going to teach you about is hunting, and while we're at it I'll show you the borders," Amberslash said as she walked. Dawnpaw's ears flicked forward. Amberslash glanced at the cream apprentice. "We're not going to try anything today, but pay attention to what I'm saying. If you don't learn this now, you will never be a hunter worth a lizard-tail to the Clan." Dawnpaw nodded seriously. Amberslash smiled softly at her wide eyed expression.

"The desert plays tricks on us. What we see as uniform is actually quite varied. Had we turned north when we left the camp, we would have found ourselves walking on dry cracked mud with little sand anywhere. Our hunting stances vary according to the terrain, and not the prey, as some other Clans' stances do. Hunting here requires a careful awareness of your surroundings." Dawnpaw nodded. She stood still, watching sand from her paw steps as it cascaded down the side of a dune.

Amberslash continued walking. Before long, the two she-cats came to a set of sheer cliffs. Dawnpaw gasped as she gazed up at them. They seemed as high as the clouds. "This is our western border," Amberslash said. "You can probably see why," she added wryly.

"What? But this is such a flimsy barrier!" Dawnpaw said, her green eyes wide. "Look how easily we could scale those giant cliffs." Her whiskers twitched with a cheeky smile.

"Ha, ha, Sarcasmstar, very funny," Amberslash said, her amber eyes warm. She set off again, following the cliffs northwards. True to her earlier statement, the sand gave way to a wide expanse of cracked, dry earth.

"Why is the ground like this? It reminds me of when Stormslash dropped that stone into the hollow and it shattered," Dawnpaw mewed.

Amberslash stopped to survey the cracked earth around them. "I'm not really certain. My best guess is that this used to be full of water many seasons ago and then dried very quickly. I remember one Clan who lived near a lake. They suffered a drought, and the lake shrunk very quickly. The mud cracked and dried when the water left it, but if we dug down deep enough we could still find moist dirt."

Dawnpaw's eyes grew wide. An amazed smile curled her muzzle. "You must have had such adventures," she breathed. "Why did you come back to DesertClan after learning about those places?"

Amberslash had started walking again. She turned back to Dawnpaw with a disbelieving grin. "You didn't know? I wasn't born in DesertClan, Dawnpaw. I come from another place, far away from here."

Dawnpaw looked down, abashed. "Larksong told me never to gossip."

"Don't worry little one, it isn't something I'm ashamed of. I came from a Twolegplace far away, and I wandered for only a few seasons before I joined DesertClan. No other place has called to me quite like this one."

"What is a Twolegplace?" Dawnpaw asked, a confused frown on her creamy face.

"A place where Twolegs live," Amberslash said, pointing her amber eyes straight ahead.

"Oh, thanks Amberslash," Dawnpaw shot back sarcastically. "What is a Twoleg? And please don't say it's a creature that walks on two legs, because this is really going to go nowhere if you do."

Amberslash laughed. "Twolegs are tall creatures with fleshy pink skin. Fur only grows on their heads, and they live in huge nests. They have an amazing ability to control shiny monsters, to make them do their bidding." Amberslash hopped around a large crack in the ground. "They also have an amazing ability to destroy," she added darkly.

Dawnpaw tilted her head to the side, trying to scramble after her mentor and keep an eye on the treacherous ground at the same time. "What do you mean, Amberslash?"

The golden mentor paused a moment before answering. "That is a story for another time. We're getting distracted. What do you think are the main advantages and disadvantages of hunting here?"

Dawnpaw considered the area for a moment. "The prey probably gathers here because of the moisture and hiding places. However, it may be difficult to nab them from between the cracks, and we might trip and hurt ourselves if our paws get caught in a crack."

"Very good. And what…" Amberslash continued to quiz Dawnpaw as they walked until Dawnpaw hardly remembered her mentor's strange comment.

The golden she-cat stopped suddenly, motioning for her cream apprentice to do the same. Dawnpaw looked down, amazement flitting across her face again.

"That's pretty deep," she said.

Amberslash glanced at her apprentice. "This is our northern border. We won't have time to visit it today, but our southern border is bounded by a ravine similar to this one. Both were made by the rivers flowing at their bottoms."

"And the eastern border?"

"That border is protected only by dunes, and then hills and scrub lands. We have solid defenses on all sides, but the easiest entrance to our territory is from the east. Some would say that it is the only entrance to our territory."

Dawnpaw mulled that over for a while. "What is beyond the scrub lands?"

"Grasslands, forests, rivers, lakes. The world outside is much greener than here, but harsh in different ways. I once saw a range of mountains that towered over a valley. Cats lived in both places, but sickness ran through the forested valley and starvation ran through the mountains. Few cats survived either."

Dawnpaw stretched sore muscles, looking towards the setting sun as she thought about her mentor's words.

"Come on, it's time for us to get back to camp," Amberslash said. "Tomorrow we'll do some actual hunting." Dawnpaw smiled at her and hopped to her feet.

"Race you back then," she called, and ran off into the cracked plain.

~oOo~

Dawnpaw's mind was still awhirl with all she had learned when she and Amberslash reached the camp, panting.

"I'm beat, Amberslash, I don't know how much more of that I can take," she said, imitating some of the tired older warriors playfully. "Who knew running in sand could be that hard?"

A chorus of "Me" and "I did" went up from the cats trotting by.

"Thank you, everyone, for warning me," she called, collapsing into giggles.

"Go get some prey, crazy furball, and then get some sleep. You've had a long day," Amberslash said.

"I hadn't noticed," Dawnpaw said, feigning surprise.

"Hush, and follow orders. I'll see you tomorrow," Amberslash said, shaking her head. She turned back one last time. "You did a great job today Dawnpaw. I'm proud of you." Dawnpaw ducked her head as warmth flooded through her. She padded to the freshkill pile and selected a nice looking desert mouse. She devoured it hungrily, then padded to the apprentice's den.

Scraping together bracken and sand to make a nest, Dawnpaw smiled tiredly. Today had only been day one, but so far life as an apprentice was off to a good start. _May StarClan let it stay that way…_

One final smile drifted across her face as she felt Thistlepaw curl up beside her.

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**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Rainpaw streaked along beside the sleek pelts of his fellows, making no noise in the dim half-light of dusk. The swishes and clumsy steps of the others met his ears as they shoved their way artlessly through the grass. Rainpaw matched their pawsteps, feeling satisfaction at his comparatively stealthy steps.

Up ahead, Froststar called a halt. The cats began to stream around, tamping down the tall, waving grass for temporary nests to rest in that night. The scouts had brought back word that the cats who lived among the waving grasses were only another day of travel away. Rainpaw felt a tingle of excitement, knowing that his first battle would be ahead and that the days of endless travel would soon be over, at least for a while. He quickly copied the actions of the older warriors around him.

"Rainpaw," a gentle voice mewed from amidst the waving stalks. Rainpaw looked around, smiling as he saw the lovely face of Swanblossom. Her green eyes were always gentle and kind. She was his half-sibling, related through his father.

"How are you?" Her soft voice held almost motherly concern. He smiled, wondering how to respond. He was exhilarated, but exhausted, and nervous. His blue eyes reflected the moonlight as it shone down on them both. "I'm fine," he finally said, his voice quiet and measured. _Never show the full extent of your emotions_, he remembered, his father's voice fresh in his mind. _Other cats will use the emotion to exploit you. Only show what you must to get what you want. _He pushed the voice away. There was no need for that, especially around Swanblossom. He was closer to her than anyone in OneClan, closer to her even than he was to Duskpaw, back at home. Swanblossom cared for him, though he was just an inexperienced apprentice on his first campaign.

"Are your pads okay?" she pressed, her green eyes shining with concern from her pure white face. Rainpaw smiled indulgently and lifted his paw for her to see. She nodded, a smile on her lips. "I'm smothering you again, aren't I?" she asked, chagrin coloring her voice.

"No, but you are mothering me," he joked. "Graycloud did enough of that to last me a lifetime." Swanblossom grinned and shook her head at the apprentice.

"That was terrible," she said, a laugh in her voice.

Rainpaw hung his head, blue eyes dancing. "I know." She rolled her eyes and nudged him. Her white fur mixed with his dark gray, both colors long and thick. _We definitely have father's blood_, Rainpaw thought.

"You had better find Tigerfrost, little one," she said. "You two need to hunt." Rainpaw sighed at the nickname. He knew he was still young, that he'd grow eventually. He hoped he would, anyways.

He wasn't too pleased with the suggestion, either. But she was the voice of reason, as usual. Rainpaw stood, and with a quick farewell to his half-sister, he padded off into the stalks of grass, his pawsteps making no noise above the rustling of the windblown stalks.

The rest of the warriors in were in a small clearing they had trampled down. The senior warriors clustered in small groups, having quiet discussions that were of vital importance, for all Rainpaw could tell. There was a profound lack of smiling around the makeshift camp, save for feral grins as they reflected on the battles to come. The younger warriors, for all that they were exceptionally strong and fast and skilled to be picked for this mission, were still too self-conscious or nervous to sit in small groups. The lot of them were clustered together in one big clump. Many faces were missing from the gathered cats; Rainpaw suspected that they were out hunting, as he and Tigerfrost were supposed to be doing.

He spied his mentor at the other end of the small clearing. The enormous tabby was talking quietly with Froststar and Blackflash. Stifling his nervousness at approaching them, Rainpaw stalked forward. _Never show fear,_ his father's voice echoed in his head. _Nothing is more infectious or more deadly. Fear is the ultimate weakness._ His soft steps brought him closer.

"Rainpaw," Froststar's deep voice rang out. Rainpaw raised his eyes to meet the leader's blue gaze. "Tigerfrost was updating me on your training. I believe that you will be ready to face GrassClan in battle if the negotiating party fails. Continue your hard work."

Rainpaw dipped his head respectfully. Froststar's gaze turned back to Tigerfrost. "Try and gather as much prey as you can tonight. Wrenflight told me that she scented border markings up ahead; we won't hunt on GrassClan territory until after negotiations. I don't want them to be hostile tomorrow."

Tigerfrost looked at Froststar skeptically. "We're marching an army onto their land and you think they won't be hostile?" he snorted. Froststar leveled a measured gaze at the muscular brown tabby.

"Our victory cannot be a brutal conquest. We are trying to unite the world, to bring peace to cats. We use force if we must, but otherwise, we will not presume hostility." Though his words were just and fair, no one standing there could deny the menace that laced Froststar's voice as he stared at the tabby tom. His cold eyes held a dark promise for Tigerfrost if the tom continued his insubordination.

"Of course, Froststar," he growled, looking away. His yellow eyes lit on his apprentice and narrowed. Rainpaw sighed. His mentor would not be pleasant tonight. Tigerfrost looked back at the leader, his tone more formal and guarded now, as he said, "With your leave, I'd like to take my apprentice out hunting. As you mentioned earlier, we will need to be well supplied for our venture into GrassClan territory tomorrow." Froststar dipped his head, his blue eyes once again calmly unreadable. Rainpaw could feel the tension draining from the air as Tigerfrost whirled away, beckoning to Rainpaw with his tail.

"Do you remember what I taught you about hunting rabbits?" Tigerfrost demanded, his voice nearly a snarl. They were walking though the swishing grass, away from the cats who had made a camp in the middle of nowhere.

Rainpaw nodded, Tigerfrost's words drifting through his head unbidden. _They'll hear you before they smell you. Don't make a sound, don't make a visible disturbance, and then spring when you're a few tail lengths away. _Tigerfrost grunted. "Then hunt. I'll go in another direction. Meet back here when the moon is halfway between moonhigh and the horizon. We don't need you keeling over tomorrow during our _negotiations_," he sneered.

Rainpaw chose not to comment, instead dipping his head in a curt nod and slipping quietly into the waving stalks of grass. His keen ears picked up the sounds of the dark tabby crashing through the swishing barrier. He rolled his eyes. The tom may have been a devastating fighter, but he was artless when it came to stalking. Rainpaw lifted his nose to the air, tasting for the scent of prey. _There! _Rainpaw slipped through the waving grass. It wasn't long before he could see it, a small brown form nibbling at something in the grass. Rainpaw crept forward slowly, careful not to disturb the gently waving grasses any more than necessary. The rabbit paused, and Rainpaw froze, his dark pelt melding with the darkness. It went back to nibbling.

_Just a few more steps,_ he thought. _And…_ he measured, taking stock of the entire setup. It was perfect. _Now!_ he thought, springing. He crossed the distance in two short bounds, his paws barely skimming the ground, and then it was in his paws and his fangs were biting into it, administering the killing blow. Pride surged in him; this was why he trained so long and hard with a loathsome mentor, putting up with Tigerfrost's bad temper and constant insults. He put up with it all because in the end, he got results. He buried the plump rabbit and marked the spot, then stalked off into the waving grass in search of more prey.

~oOo~

Rainpaw returned to Tigerfrost with four rabbits. They had all fallen to his paws quietly, save for the largest one. It had kicked him in the face with a powerful foot, making his eyes water, and for a moment his grip had loosened, allowing it to nearly scramble free. Rainpaw felt frustration coil in his stomach just thinking about the clumsy kill.

Tigerfrost had collected half as many. His yellow eyes were livid as he looked over his apprentice's superior catch. "Come on, let's get back to the others. You need sleep, or your delicate little body might just crack from the strain." Rainpaw listened with a bland expression, knowing that one day Tigerfrost would be made to pay for his words. _Waiting for the right moment to strike is more important than the strike itself, _his father's words reminded him. _Even a weak opponent can take down a stronger one with a well-timed blow._

Rainpaw was exhausted by the time he laid his catch on the freshkill pile. The day of running across the grassy plains and hunting caught up with him, tiredness trying to slam him to the ground. Perhaps Tigerfrost was right about him needing sleep. He padded off without another word to his mentor, seeking his nest on the edge of the clearing. He noticed Swanblossom was curled up near Moonstream, her sister. Their white pelts mixed until it was difficult to tell where one ended and the other began. It was hard not to envy that kind of closeness.

Rainpaw settled into the nest and closed his eyes. It wasn't hard to let the darkness take him, and he drifted off into a deep sleep.

~oOo~

"Wake up, Rainpaw."

The gentle voice roused Rainpaw. His breathing quickened as he slowly became aware of the flattened stalks and cats that littered his surroundings. A pure white head hovered over him.

"Is it time to go?" he asked Swanblossom. She nodded.

"Froststar asked that you accompany the first group," she said. Her eyes were troubled. Rainpaw rubbed her cheek on an impulse. She smiled shakily.

"I'll be fine. Tigerfrost is the best fighter here and he's been teaching me everything he knows." Swanblossom still looked troubled, but he could see his mentor's impatient yellow eyes glaring from across the clearing. "And if I do get in trouble, I know I can always count on you to get me out." He gave her one last reassuring smile. He trotted across the clearing to the waiting party.

Froststar and Blackflash were there—_That's a given_, Rainpaw thought—as well as Tigerfrost. Wavestorm and Yellowpelt were assembled as well. He smiled in satisfaction. Screechpaw, that stuck up little furball, wasn't coming, but _he_ was. Being Froststar's son had some benefits to it, that was for sure. Rainpaw could feel his fellow apprentice's yellow eyes scorching his pelt. Moonstream padded up, identical to Swanblossom except for the gray stripe that ran down her back. Froststar flicked his tail and ran out, following Wrenflight.

Rainpaw was proud of the stamina he had built up during the long run from the forests where he was born to these rolling plains. It had been a moon of constant travel and training, but he was finally at the moment where the true adventure began. He felt exhilaration bubble in his veins as the group slipped through the tall grasses, towards the next Clan to fall under their control.

They traveled for long, hot hours under the unforgiving sun. The wind danced around them while they ran. Sometimes, when the wind shifted to blow from behind, he caught the scent of the attack force following them, ready to come to their aid.

Froststar barked a halt. Rainpaw was confused, his mind still wandering, but then the scent wafted to his nose on the ever-present breeze. A musky scent, somehow smelling of a sharp breeze whisking through grass and the soft loamy dirt that gave the grasses the strength to grow strong, assaulted his scent glands. _GrassClan._ Froststar looked around, giving each of them a glance of warning.

He led the way forward slowly. Rainpaw noticed Wrenflight melting into the grass, slipping back to the other scouts who stayed behind the attack force. Their job was done. The thought sent shivers of anticipation coursing through Rainpaw.

Another scent reached Rainpaw's nose and he hissed a quick warning. Froststar tasted the air and nodded at the gray apprentice. Rainpaw allowed a tight smile to slip onto his face. A group of cats melted from the grasses in front of them. Froststar gazed at them with perfect calm.

"Intruders," one of the strange cats hissed. Rainpaw noticed that his eyes were amber, and that he was thin and small. His back legs were built for springing. Getting kicked by one of those would hurt.

Froststar dipped his head respectfully. "My name is Froststar. I must see your leader." His ice blue eyes bored into the amber eyes of the lead cat. His rippling muscles and size did as much to intimidate the smallish tom as his uncompromising eyes. The cat glanced around at his fellows, who surrounded OneClan's envoy in a distinctly unfriendly circle. Froststar narrowed his eyes. "It is of great importance," he said, and his tone brooked no arguments.

Finally, cowed by the powerful leader, the tom nodded. "Come with me. Your other group of cats must stay behind, though." Rainpaw started. How had he known that the army had been following behind?

"On one condition," Froststar said, his deep voice ringing out above the rustling stalks. "I must bring one more cat with me." The amber eyed tom leveled an angry stare at the pure white leader. "I place my lives at your paws. All I ask is this one cat, that I may feel more secure while conversing with your leader." The tom sighed angrily. He finally gave a curt nod. Froststar flicked his tail at Rainpaw. He sprinted off, barely bending the stalks as he passed. Wrenflight was still with the main body of the army.

"Wrenflight, we need a scout. Froststar sent me, just in case." She nodded and flicked her tail.

"I'm afraid I won't be fresh enough, but take Pinewind. She's the quickest we've got right now, since Longfoot got injured." The gray and white scout appeared. Rainpaw nodded and sprinted back. Froststar looked her over and turned, his eyes inscrutable. Rainpaw hoped he hadn't upset him. _My first campaign, honored with being on the negotiations party, and now I've gone and messed up_, Rainpaw thought, his heart sinking. Froststar nodded to the amber eyed tom and they set off at a quick pace through the grasses.

Rainpaw could tell that they were getting nearer. The musky yet sharp scent of GrassClan grew ever stronger in his nose.

The dark gray apprentice glanced around at the group of OneClan cats. He could see that Moonstream was ill at ease.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly, matching her strides. She glanced at him with wide green eyes.

"Nervous," she said tightly. Rainpaw ran his tail down her spine reassuringly.

"Don't worry too much, okay? They wouldn't harm a medicine cat, and I'll protect you even if they do," he promised gently. She smiled at him, though he could see her nerves were still there. Rainpaw himself only felt excitement and a desire to prove himself.

They slowed after a time. Rainpaw squinted, straining to see what lay ahead. The barest rise gave the flat plains some dimension here, and Rainpaw could smell an almost overpowering GrassClan scent coming from the knoll. _This must be their camp_, he realized. The amber eyed tom led them straight to it, weaving through the grass. A yelp from one of the warriors behind him made Rainpaw look down. _Clever_, he thought, and watched carefully to avoid the thorny vines that had been arranged on the ground.

"Nettlesting, what is going on here?" a deep voice rang out. The amber eyed tom, Nettlesting, paused.

"These cats say they have some business with Rustlestar," he said to a black and brown mottled tom. The tom had a similar build to Nettlesting, with well-muscled legs and a generally small frame. Froststar continued watching calmly as the exchange passed between the GrassClan cats.

"This way," Nettlesting growled. His patrol continued to surround the OneClan group. Rainpaw stayed near Moonstream. He wanted to make sure nothing happened to her, just in case. Swanblossom would never forgive him if she got hurt.

A golden brown tom stood on a small knoll in the middle of the clearing. The wind whipped his long fur. His eyes were a shade of light grayish-blue.

"Please state your business, stranger. We are not accustomed to welcoming foreign cats onto our lands, and would like you to vacate our territory as soon as possible." The words dropped formally and coldly between the tom and the group of OneClan cats. Froststar took a step forward.

"I am Froststar, of OneClan," he began. The golden brown tom's eyes narrowed and a small smile spread across his face.

"Ah," he said, his voice smug. "_Froststar_. We have heard of you here in GrassClan. Froststar, the _noble_ conqueror. Sweeping over the world to _unite_ and _free_ us poor, ignorant cats." Froststar's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Your gaze must reach far indeed, for you to know so much of my mission. I have brought my medicine cat and a few of my trusted warriors with me so that we may discuss certain matters. I suppose that, since you are so informed, you have surmised my hopes for our conversation today, Rustlestar?" His voice was equally cold, though it held none of the arrogant bravado of the leader standing before him. Froststar's icy blue eyes held a knowing glint. Rainpaw flicked his gaze back to the arrogant GrassClan leader.

"Oh no, Froststar, I'm afraid that you have come with a misconception. There will be no conversation. GrassClan will not fall to your greed. You and your cats are not and will never be welcome on these plains." Rainpaw wanted to hiss at the self-importance that dripped from his tone. Froststar tilted his head, a small, dark smile on his lips.

"Very well then, Rustlestar. So be it." His cold voice suddenly filled with quiet menace. He flicked his white tail at his warriors, the eight cats seeming like an island in the middle of a hungry sea, and hissed one word.

"Attack."

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	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Thistlepaw's nudge woke Dawnpaw from her deep sleep.

"Wha…? What is it," she asked drowsily. Her pale green eyes flickered open slowly. Had she been a little more awake, she'd have shaken her head in amusement at the smoky black head inches from her face.

"Furball, get your stinky lizard breath out of my face," she mumbled, sitting up and stretching. Thistlepaw rolled his amber eyes.

"I had a finch for breakfast, thank you very much," he said snootily. "You and I are on the dawn patrol with our mentors and Hawkstar. You'd better hurry, lazybones."

Dawnpaw froze in the middle of smoothing the fur near the base of her tail. Twisting around until she looked like a coiled rattlesnake, her panicked green eyes met Thistlepaw's amber ones. "Dawn patrol?" she squeaked. "Why didn't you tell me?" She hastily untwisted herself and streaked out of the den. Thistlepaw followed behind more slowly.

Amberslash and Batclaw were chatting quietly near the entrance to camp. Dawnpaw could see the bright golden sands through the red stone arch that separated their sheltered rocky hollow from the shifting sand particles outside. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, painting the lightening sky in shades of pink and orange. Dawnpaw's green eyes glittered.

A scent drifted to her nose, and a second later Dawnpaw spotted their huge leader padding softly towards them. His soft brown fur rippled in the growing light. Dawnpaw quickly caught up with Thistlepaw, who was forging ahead to stand with his new mentor.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Hawkstar asked in his deep voice. The warriors nodded. "Good." He turned, his unusual long fur swishing in the still morning air. He bounded out of the camp and onto the soft desert sands. Dawnpaw couldn't help but grin at its soft warmth as the sand wrapped around her paws.

Hawkstar led the way towards the sun, which was just beginning to peek above the horizon. The sky was cast in yellows and oranges now, the soft pinks fading away. Dawnpaw drifted back to match her mentor's steps.

"Why are we going east?" she asked quietly. Amberslash turned her orange gaze on her apprentice.

"Why do you think, Dawnpaw?"

Dawnpaw felt her heart flutter as she thought it over. "Because that's our only weak border," she said uncertainly, her inflection making it a question. Amberslash regarded Dawnpaw quietly.

"Don't ask me, Dawnpaw. Tell me. Why are we going east?" Amberslash's voice was unyielding. Dawnpaw's eyes narrowed.

"It's because our eastern border is our weakest border," Dawnpaw repeated, this time firmly. Amberslash nodded, and looking into her eyes, Dawnpaw felt as though she had passed some sort of test. She took a deep breath, letting her happiness flow through her.

Hawkstar flowed to a halt ahead of them. Batclaw was at his side, staring out. Dawnpaw gasped, seeing their eastern border for the first time as the sun burst in full glory over the horizon.

There were hills, rolling like dunes except infinitely more solid. Rocks were strewn about everywhere, like scraps of tumbleweed after kits had finished tearing them apart. She heard a snap as she stepped forward, and looked down with a frown. Under her paws was a yellowish stick, its forked tines marking it as a misplaced section of one of the scraggly plants that surrounded her. She glanced around, seeing if any of the others shared her wonder. Hawkstar was leveling a serious gaze at Dawnpaw; it was only then that she realized she'd padded straight past him and was likely on enemy territory. She shrunk down a bit and padded meekly back to Amberslash's side. Her mentor said nothing, only stood watching as Hawkstar and Batclaw conferred in quiet voices.

Thistlepaw gave her a _look._ Dawnpaw stuck her nose in the air, refusing to acknowledge her embarrassment or her friend's silent sniggering at her expense.

"There's no fresh scent. The entire area smells stale," Batclaw said quietly. Dawnpaw's ears flicked forward, her interest piqued despite her mother's constant admonitions against eavesdropping.

Hawkstar dipped his head. "It may not be cause for worry. It has been also been many sunrises since we have marked this border."

Batclaw didn't look convinced. Her deep green eyes bored into the leader's. "All the same, we need to post more patrols. If GrassClan is unable to send border patrols, we may be in danger too."

Hawkstar's eyes flicked towards the two apprentices and Amberslash. Dawnpaw quickly pretended to be sniffing at the ground, absorbed by a stray bit of twig caught in the sands. He straightened and squared his shoulders. "That may be," he murmured to his deputy. "But we don't have enough cats to be patrolling this border at all hours. We're struggling to feed ourselves as it is. I'll add a dusk patrol, but that's all we can manage."

Hawkstar flicked his fluffy tail and trotted off, always staying on the sands. Dawnpaw supposed that that was how the border was distinguished. She longed to walk on the hills, but the sensation of sand slipping through her paws at every step distracted her. _I love the desert_, she thought happily. _I'm so glad I wasn't born in those mountains Amberslash told me about. It sounds so cold and dreary there._

They reached a point where the hills seemed to disappear into the desert sands. Dawnpaw saw only glimmering blue in that direction, like the sky was reaching down to touch the earth. They got closer and Dawnpaw realized why that was: they had reached the southern ravine, the last border that Dawnpaw had needed to see.

She padded closer, careful to stay behind Hawkstar this time, and looked down. She could see the slightest shimmer of blue down at the bottom. Dawnpaw looked down it to the right. The ravine was similar to the one in the north, but wider and deeper, and it curved like a snake as it wriggled across the sands.

"Amberslash, Batclaw, you two are dismissed. All I ask is that you teach your apprentices something today," Hawkstar said, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. Batclaw gave him a meaningful glance but dipped her head. She flicked her tail to Thistlepaw and trotted off. Hawkstar took off down the ravine. Dawnpaw stared after them until their dark pelts were just flickering shadows amidst the desert mirage.

Amberslash's stern voice shattered the early morning calm.

"I'm quite certain your mother has told you not to eavesdrop, Dawnpaw. Did you conveniently forget that lesson, or am I mistaken?"

Dawnpaw cringed. "I, uh… I have selective memory?" She sunk down even further, until she could feel her belly fur scraping the sands. Amberslash's piercing amber eyes bored into Dawnpaw's smoky green ones.

"Selective memory, is that it?" she said, looming over her apprentice.

"I won't do it again, Amberslash," Dawnpaw pleaded. Her pale green eyes stared up at the larger she-cat miserably.

Amberslash shook her head. "I doubt that. I swear, apprentices get into more trouble than mice in a forest full of cats. Just promise me you won't go jabbering what you heard to the rest of the Clan. StarClan knows we don't need that news running around camp."

Dawnpaw looked up triumphantly, her pale fur rippling as she straightened. "Aha! You were eavesdropping too!"

"And?"

Dawnpaw was taken aback. "And…" Dawnpaw huffed as she stared into Amberslash's challenging eyes. "And… you're the mentor, so it doesn't matter if you were eavesdropping or not."

Amberslash grinned. "We're getting along so well, don't you think?" She flicked her tail at her apprentice's nose gleefully. Dawnpaw rolled her eyes with a snort.

"Don't get too excited, Amberslash, this is only the second day," she muttered, grinning despite herself as she heard her mentor's chuckle.

The sun beat high overhead as Amberslash made her way to the dunes. Dawnpaw knew that they were just south of camp, but the desert made everything seem distant. She wished they _were_ inside the camp, with its cool caves that offered shelter from the beating sun. Her pelt absolutely itched with the heat.

"Amberslash?" she finally ventured. Her mentor looked at her with gleaming amber eyes. "Can we rest for a while? I'm tired and thirsty," she said, ashamed at her weakness.

The amber eyes glinted with sympathy. "This isn't a good place to rest, Dawnpaw. Just keep going a little further, I promise we can rest then." Dawnpaw nodded and stumbled after her mentor.

Dawnpaw saw their destination rise out of the mirage like a claw poking from the desert sands. The spire of rock rose high into the air, sticking out from amongst the dunes. The red stone seemed to glow with the heat, but near its base was a patch of shadow that looked absolutely gorgeous.

Amberslash's bright orange eyes scanned the ground at the base of the rock before she padded over and gently levered herself onto the sands. Dawnpaw did the same gratefully. The shadow cooled the desert air and sheltered her from the unforgiving sun. _This is better_, she thought.

"Today, I will teach you to hunt." Amberslash's words sent a jolt of excitement through Dawnpaw.

"It isn't a difficult skill to master. Pouncing on a small creature is hardly difficult. The difficult part is getting close enough to do that." Amberslash's eyes scanned her apprentice critically for a moment. She stood and padded off into the desert. "Out here, the only thing we can use to hide is our own pelt. We must be soft, quiet, and fluid, like the sands." Amberslash flicked her tail to a shadow that was flickering across one of the dunes ahead.

"Watch carefully, Dawnpaw," Amberslash breathed, then slunk away. Dawnpaw's green eyes watched her mentor sharply, all thoughts of the scorching heat forgotten. Amberslash moved slowly up the face of the dune, keeping out of sight of the snake. It continued to wriggle across the top, oblivious. Amberslash rounded behind it, keeping her belly fur low enough to slide along the sands, and placed her paws down softly, so as not to make a thump and alert her prey. She got to within two tail lengths before springing, slamming her paws down on the snake near the base of its head and clamping her jaws down before it could thrash away.

Dawnpaw sprinted over to her mentor. Her eyes glimmered with hunger as she stared down at Amberslash's catch.

"Were you paying attention, Dawnpaw?" Amberslash asked, oblivious to her apprentice's hunger. Dawnpaw tore her eyes away from the juicy, meaty, wonderful rattlesnake and nodded. Amberslash picked up her catch and padded off.

They got close enough to see the camp in the distance, but Amberslash didn't stop. They were on the western section of the dunes before Dawnpaw felt her mentor's tail flick down her back. She followed Amberslash's gaze and saw what she was looking at: a jack rabbit pawing in the sands. Its huge ears twitched and rotated as it scratched for seeds and insects to nibble on. Dawnpaw's green eyes found her mentor's and Amberslash nodded.

"Remember to be quiet. Those ears are big for a reason," her mentor warned. Dawnpaw nodded and slunk away. Her heart nearly stopped every time the rabbit glanced up, but it always went back to its nibbling. She carefully padded into the valley between two dunes, staring up at the jack rabbit. Dawnpaw slowly crept up the dune, placing her paws exactly.

She glanced up at the rabbit again and took a step, her paw accidentally jamming too hard into the sands. The grains cascaded down the dune. The rabbit froze and for an instant Dawnpaw met the creature's eyes. Then it sprang away and she was bounding after it, despair freezing her coat because she knew she wasn't nearly fast enough to catch it.

A squeal split the air just as she bounded over the top of the dune. Dawnpaw's confusion lasted only a moment. She sighed unhappily.

Amberslash picked up the dead rabbit, her neat teeth marks in its now limp neck. Her amber eyes were hard, but held a small glint of sympathy. She put the rabbit back down in the sand.

"It was a good try, Dawnpaw. If you'd been paying a little more attention to your paws, you may have gotten it."

Dawnpaw's green eyes flashed. "You knew that I wouldn't get it," she accused her mentor, her pelt fluffing up in embarrassment and outrage. "You knew I was going to chase it away!" Amberslash's expression was coldly unreadable.

"How many apprentices, do you think, succeed on their very first try?" she asked imperiously. "Not many. With the Clan still hungry from the cold season, did you honestly think I would chance a plump rabbit escaping?" Dawnpaw hung her head.

Amberslash's eyes softened. "For all that you didn't succeed, it was a good try. If you _were _perfect right away there would be no need for me to teach you, now would there? You'll be a fine hunter eventually, so don't get discouraged now."

The golden she-cat straightened once more. "Now let's take this prey back to camp and go practice some more!"

Dawnpaw grinned and picked up the snake, once again enjoying the day as they trotted home with their bounty of food.

~oOo~

The sun was setting behind her, casting the dunes into waves of light and shadow. It was beautiful, but Dawnpaw had no time to look. Her eyes were fixed on a lizard scuttling across the sands in front of her, eager to get back to whatever crevice or cave it called home. Padding lightly behind as she was, it was never going to notice her. Her light green eyes narrowed, and she sprang.

Her claws pierced the tough hide of the lizard as her fangs streaked down, quick as a snake, and clamped on its neck. Triumph rose in her as she felt it go limp.

"My first kill!" she called happily to Amberslash. The golden she-cat smiled and dipped her head. Her orange eyes glimmered in the light of the setting sun.

"I told you a few days would make all the difference," she said, and pride colored the warrior's tone. Dawnpaw breathed deeply, feeling her joy saturate her lithe frame.

"I can't wait to show this to Thistlepaw," she said happily.

Amberflight picked up her own catch, a desert thrush, and led the way back to camp.

"Dawnpaw, I want you to remember something," she said as they padded softly down a dune. Dawnpaw's green eyes locked on her mentor.

"Never, under any circumstances, underestimate the desert. We cats are not the biggest or strongest creatures in this territory, and dusk is the most dangerous time for us to be alone."

Dawnpaw accepted it without comment. She was learning that her mentor's words were full of wisdom just as quickly as she was learning to pad across the tops of dunes without displacing a grain of sand. But at the same time, she wondered… _What kind of creatures could be so fierce that we need to share our territory with them?_

No sooner had the two she-cats entered camp and set their prey down on the freshkill pile than they were hailed by Lizardclaw.

"Hawkstar assigned you two to the dusk patrol. Meet me by the entrance." His green eyes slid over Dawnpaw. Her heart sank a little at his ambivalence towards her hunting accomplishment, but she brushed it off. _I can tell him while we're patrolling_, she thought excitedly, mustering energy despite her exhaustion. She imagined her father's look of pride with an eager grin.

Amberslash's eyes were narrowed. "We've been out all day," she muttered. "Surely there are enough cats to go and patrol without working you to the bone." Dawnpaw trotted after her silently_. I hope this isn't because of the patrol the other day_, she thought. _I didn't mean to go on the hill._

Amberslash didn't say anything else as she stood by the stone arch. Dawnpaw tried to ignore the gurgling of her stomach and did the same. Lizardclaw came over within a few moments, his own apprentice, Brightpaw, tagging along behind him. Stormslash padded up to join the patrol. Lizardclaw flicked his tail for them to head out.

They turned north, just passing the cracked plains and reaching an area that couldn't seem to decide whether it wanted to be cracked, sandy, or scrubby, like the hills. The ground seemed to be broken in patches, and sand filled out crevices and rounded corners. There was far more plant life here than Dawnpaw had seen in any other part of the territory, but it was all short and stubby, with scraggly little branches—if they even had branches at all. Dawnpaw found it perplexing.

Brightpaw was walking next to Stormslash. His gray pelt gleamed in the half light of the sun. Dawnpaw checked behind her and saw that the sun had sunk behind the cliffs. The sky around it was painted in brilliant oranges and reds. In front of her, the first stars were peeking out of the sky. Amberslash was talking quietly with Lizardclaw up ahead as they padded through the strange landscape. Dawnpaw sighed, wishing that Thistlepaw was there. At least she'd have had someone to talk to then.

He was probably out hunting, Dawnpaw mused. She figured that night was the best time for he and his mentor to hunt, while their pelts blended in with the shadows between the dunes.

Lizardclaw stopped suddenly. Dawnpaw ran into him, still lost in thought. "Sorry," she squeaked, but he silenced her with a sharp hiss. Dawnpaw was taken aback for a moment, but then a breeze floated past her nose. Her eyes widened at the unfamiliar scent.

"What is that?" she breathed, her eyes wide. She didn't like the way her father's pelt was beginning to spike up.

Amberslash glanced at her, and her eyes held the same expression she wore when she wanted Dawnpaw to figure out an answer to one of her questions. Dawnpaw tasted the air again, wrinkling her nose at the stale, rotten scent. It wasn't vulture-meat, but it certainly had some of that on it. Underneath the vulture-meat she scented a musk that coated her tongue. It was disgusting. Glancing at her father's pelt again and seeing how quietly he moved as he slunk towards the smell, she realized that this scent, whatever it was, probably belonged to the same things that Amberslash had warned her about.

Lizardclaw paused. Dawnpaw could see his back stiffen in confusion. Then Stormslash let out a furious hiss and Dawnpaw whirled around. Her eyes widened.

Behind the patrol was a group of three… things. They were half again as large as a cat and had long, ugly snouts filled with sharp teeth. They had giant, snuffling black noses. Their fur was shaggy and unkempt, and she could see that their long bodies were terribly scarred. Their muzzles were stained with vulture-meat. Their eyes were deep black, full of feral hunger.

"Coyotes," Lizardclaw hissed.

One of the things—_coyotes_, Dawnpaw corrected herself— moved forward on steady paws. Dawnpaw could see dark nails extending from each foot and knew that they would hurt if she was scratched by one of them. It snarled, a deep, rumbling, vicious growl. The others charged forward.

Lizardclaw leaped to the attack, meeting the leader head on. He jumped straight over the coyote's head, clawing down its back and laying stripes of torn flesh down its spine. Stormslash dashed at its legs and sunk his teeth in, slowing its movement. He slashed open a long wound down its belly. Amberslash leaped on another one of them as it tried to snatch Stormslash in its huge jaws. Brightpaw rushed to help her mentor and Stormslash.

Dawnpaw was frozen with fear. The third coyote spotted her and raced towards her, its teeth bared in a feral grimace of triumph. Staring into its black eyes, Dawnpaw felt her fear compact, and anger took its place. She would _not_ let this disgusting creature beat her.

Her mind raced as it bore down on her. She knew she wasn't strong enough to leap onto its back like Lizardclaw had, so she'd need a different strategy. She saw as it skidded through the sand that it was fast, but it wasn't agile.

She grinned, and leaped straight for its muzzle. She heard a cat shout behind her but didn't pay attention. Her claws slashed through the snuffling black nose and she darted to its side, slashing her claws down the side of its face. Her teeth sunk into its foreleg.

The coyote yipped in pain and clubbed her with its own head. She was dazed for only a moment, but that was all the time it needed to leap on top of her. She wrenched her head away and it sunk its teeth into the sand where moments before her neck had been. She was underneath its belly now, the soft flesh exposed to her claws. She yanked her hind claws through its flesh, instinct and adrenaline guiding her paws. A huge paw slammed into her side and sent her rolling.

Dawnpaw staggered up, her green eyes glazed as she felt blood from a wound on her side trickling down her pelt. _It must have been those sharp nails_, she thought, gasping as she tried to inhale.

She tried to focus on the coyote, but it was hard. She saw it twisting and bucking and noticed a dark pelt attached to its back. Another, lighter colored pelt was clawing at its face, until with a few defeated barks it ran away, tail between its legs. Dawnpaw blinked.

A pair of amber eyes swam in her vision. Was it already that dark? _It shouldn't be night-time yet,_ her muddled mind puzzled out. Dawnpaw's vision narrowed. _What pretty eyes_… she thought, then collapsed into the sand.

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	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Froststar's call to battle echoed in Rainpaw's head. His heart began to pound.

Rainpaw leaped into action. He heard Froststar's voice boom above the yowls of cats as he bellowed orders. Beside him, Pinewind seemed frozen with fear, unmoving even as a huge tabby bowled her over. Rainpaw slammed into the tom's side and sent him sprawling.

"Go! Get the attack force!" His yowl cut through the scout's panic and seemed to register in her green eyes. Rainpaw's eyes followed her as she dodged nimbly through the fray. He was barely in time to evade a powerful spring from one of the GrassClan cats. Rainpaw cursed himself for his inattention and slashed the tom across the muzzle. The blood droplets glistened in the bright sunlight as they flew through the air. The tom staggered back and let out a feral hiss of pain, but Rainpaw didn't give him the chance to retaliate. Tigerfrost's training in mind, Rainpaw sidestepped and sunk his claws into the tom's side, slashing a long wound down his flank before he could react. Then he wheeled around and jumped on the GrassClan cat's back, slashing his hind claws through the tom's fur. When Rainpaw finally let go, the tom scrambled away, bleeding heavily.

Rainpaw's blue eyes scanned the knoll quickly. The fighting was thickest at the peak—if one could call it that—of the rise, where his father's white pelt shone from amongst the dingy grays and browns of these grass cats. The seven OneClan cats were fighting viciously, but they would be overwhelmed soon without reinforcements.

The gray apprentice leaped for the top of the knoll and rejoined the fray again, slashing, biting, leaping and dodging until his claws were stained red with blood and his pelt spattered with it. These isolated cats didn't know how to fight the OneClan warriors, but even so, they managed to score some long shallow gashes along Rainpaw's sides through virtue of sheer numbers. He hissed in fury and leaped on them once again.

A high pitched yowl split the air a few feet away. Blinking blood out of his eyes from a cut on his forehead, Rainpaw glanced in the direction of the noise and saw a pair of GrassClan cats leaping on a she-cat with a white pelt. _Moonstream_, Rainpaw realized. A stab of panic shot through him. He swatted away his opponent with a powerful forepaw and leaped on the medicine cat's attackers.

One of them was the amber-eyed tom Nettlesting. Rainpaw sunk his teeth into the tom's scruff and heard his yowl before he tossed the GrassClan cat away. Rainpaw tried to ignore the burning in his neck muscles as he did so, slashing with outstretched claws at the other cat, a cream colored she-cat. His claws met empty air and he stumbled. The air whooshed out of his lungs as the pale furred cat's heavy weight dropped on his back.

Moonstream was scrambling away, the terror in her eyes canceling out her reason. She backed away and yelped as her hindquarters slid into a concealed hole. _Dens_, Rainpaw thought dimly as his attacker pressed his nose into the dirt. _They live underground like frightened prey._

"I'm not going to be beaten by some rabbit-breathed coward," he hissed, then surged upward with all his strength, his muscles complaining painfully. The cat on top of him grunted in surprise as she slid off his back. Rainpaw turned and leaped on the pale furred she-cat, sinking his teeth into her shoulder and locking his jaws together as she yowled in pain. He swiped his claws mercilessly down her belly.

A heavy weight slammed into his side. He looked up into green eyes and his own blue ones widened. "What in StarClan do you think you're doing?" he hissed, grunting as the she-cat kicked out and managed to free herself. Moonstream's angry, frightened eyes captured his before he could chase the cream cat down. Rainpaw felt a twinge of guilt, seeing the blood that marred her pure white sides. He met her eyes once again at her angry hiss.

"She's beaten already, Rainpaw, go fight some other cat," she returned, her voice trembling. Rainpaw growled.

"Moonstream, I promised to protect _you_, not these GrassClan cowards. Either let me fight or get out of here, I don't care," he spat. Moonstream's eyes widened.

Rainpaw glanced around again, not waiting for her reply, and felt anger and irritation surge up inside him. He had somehow made it back down to the bottom of the knoll. "Come with me," he barked, disgust for their backwards progress dripping from his voice like venom.

Rainpaw leaped up the rise with Moonstream in tow, slashing out at the cats who tried to get in his way. Moonstream stayed quiet, though when he glanced back he could see her compassion for the cats as they limped away. He sighed quietly. _I should ask Froststar to not bring medicine cats along for a battle next time_, he thought wryly.

A yellowish brown tom accosted Rainpaw just before he reached the crest of the hill. Rainpaw's heart leaped with fury. _Not again_, he thought. _I'm not going all the way down the hill_ again_!_ He didn't wait for the tom to make his move, just sprang at him angrily. It was a stupid move, one for first-day apprentices, Rainpaw realized midway through the leap. The tom's blue eyes gleamed and he surged upward, knocking Rainpaw out of the air. Rainpaw scrambled on the slick, trampled grass but the tom leaped on him before he could make it to his feet. It was only a quick jerk of his forepaw that saved his throat from being torn open by the tom's powerful jaws.

Rainpaw let out a yowl of pain. His paw felt like it was being torn in half. He hoped Moonstream wasn't getting mauled while he sat there with his paw getting torn to shreds. Swanblossom's disappointed face swam in front of his vision. He _had_ to protect Moonstream.

He lunged forward, grabbing the side of the tom's neck in his strong jaws. The tom let out a yelp that turned into a gurgle as Rainpaw sunk his teeth in harder. He felt blood begin to flow around his locked teeth. Blood pounded in his ears, battle rage demanding more.

Rainpaw growled and with a massive effort of will, he unlocked his jaws. Moonstream stared at him with something akin to horror. Rainpaw bent down to check the tom. He was still breathing, but the blood flow was slowing. Rainpaw fought off a shiver.

"Moonstream," Rainpaw barked sharply. "You can't help him right now. We need to get up this hill." The green eyes met his once more and hardened. She nodded, her pelt lying flatter than it had all morning. Rainpaw whirled away, trying not to favor his mangled paw. He could see his father's pelt flashing in and out of the cats that leaped around him. Beside the powerful leader, a giant tabby pelt tossed cats back and forth. _Just a little farther,_ he thought.

A gust blew across the plains from behind him, bringing his nose a medley of familiar scents. Triumph flared in his heart, but Rainpaw still pressed forward, cuffing a few cats across the head and shoulders as they tumbled around him.

The attack force flooded into the camp, their eyes gleaming with battle lust. All around, Rainpaw heard the desperate yowls of the GrassClan cats as their fight battle became hopeless. Moonstream fell behind, enveloped by more familiar pelts, but Rainpaw still didn't stop. He had to reach the fighting at the top; there were too few OneClan to resist all those GrassClan cats.

He could see Blackflash as she darted in and out of the mass of writhing cats, nipping and slashing before whirling away quicker than the eye could see. Froststar batted a cat away with a massive paw and sunk his teeth into another's shoulder. Tigerfrost carved his way through the cats with ease. And yet, Rainpaw's heart sank. Wavestorm crumpled under the onslaught, and Yellowpelt let out a cry as her leg twisted out from under her, caught in a hidden den below the grass.

Rainpaw stumbled and fell. The tide of OneClan cats swept around him, slamming into the knot of GrassClan at the top of the hill and breaking up their concentrated attack. Rainpaw watched as his father and the deputy led the attack, moving as one to vanquish the cats. They would win the battle easily, now that their full force was here. Rainpaw struggled to his feet and painfully continued his uphill battle.

The battle raged, but Rainpaw went still suddenly. He recognized the brown pelt crumpled beneath his father. Rustlestar, the arrogant GrassClan leader. Rainpaw watched in a daze as his father growled a few words into the tom's ear. Rustlestar hissed something back.

His heart missed a beat when his father lunged forward and sunk his teeth into the tom's neck, ripping through with a viciousness and fury unknown to Rainpaw until then. Froststar didn't release his grip until Rustlestar's head had been torn nearly from his shoulders and there was no possibility of the leader's return from StarClan.

He felt a pelt brush against his and saw a faint gleam of white before his legs buckled. A familiar scent comforted him as he drifted into shadows. His pelt was slick with blood. _My wounds_, Rainpaw realized, his mind fuzzy. A proud white figure stood on the hill above him, face and claws stained red with blood. A roar of victory went up from the strong cats around him.

The battle was over. Rainpaw sighed with relief. Swanblossom's concerned eyes swept over him.

"Come on, Rainpaw," she meowed gently. "Let's get your wounds fixed up."

Rainpaw nodded dumbly and stumbled after her as around him, OneClan began to round up the defeated Clan. Their work had only just begun.

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	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Dawnpaw's mind flickered slowly back to consciousness. Darkness greeted her closed eyes. Cool air swirled around her fur. It was lovely. She breathed a deep sigh of contentment and ended up gasping in pain. Dawnpaw's eyes flew open.

She was in a cave, surrounded by gently curving walls of red and orange rock. The patterns of lines and swirls were beautiful. There was a sharp scent drifting from a small grotto to her left. To her right was a dark passage that led deep into the rock of the camp. She could hear a steady trickling sound echoing up the smooth round sides of the tunnel. _I must be in the medicine den_, she realized. Dawnpaw glanced at down herself for the first time and noticed the poultices that made her pelt prickle and her fur pull strangely.

"You're awake!" Dawnpaw flinched at the sudden noise.

"I hadn't noticed," she grumbled, turning gingerly to face Thistlepaw. His amber eyes swam from his shadowy face. He grinned, showing white fangs.

"I always try to help," he retorted, all of his angelic charm oozing from his pelt. Dawnpaw snorted softly.

"So, you were crouched by my nest in an agony of terror, fretfully waiting to see if I would live or die, right? Or were you just passing through?" Dawnpaw grinned.

"I don't know about terror, but sure, I was here. Nothing better to do, anyways, Batclaw took half the camp to chase those coyotes off. None of the apprentices got to go except Falconpaw."

Dawnpaw's face grew thoughtful. She turned her whiskers to the entrance of the den, enjoying the play of sunlight across her face. She tilted her head to Thistlepaw. "How long was I out?" she asked, her voice casual.

"Not quite a day. You took a nice refreshing nap while they carried you into camp like a piece of freshkill. I thought you were a goner, way they were acting, but Sandpelt hustled you in here and then you just slept the whole night and most of today."

Dawnpaw cringed. "A whole day?" Thistlepaw nodded. "Aw…"

"Don't worry, everyone knew you were pathetic before. The secret's been out for a while," Thistlepaw teased. Dawnpaw hissed at him halfheartedly. Thistlepaw stood, taking his time, and flicked his tail in farewell. "Anyway, Sandpelt told me to get him as soon as you woke up, so I'm off. Try not to get mauled by any more coyotes, will you?"

Dawnpaw rolled her eyes. "Bye, mousebrain. Have fun sitting around!" Her friend didn't reply, just sauntered out of the cave with a haughty flick of his ears. Dawnpaw huffed, trying to ignore the sharp pain in her side.

Dawnpaw quickly discovered that there was not much to do in the medicine den. A steady _drip_, _drip_, _drip_ filled the cave with its monotonous sound, saturating it with echoes of dropping water until the sound was layered into a maddening symphony. Her side burned with a deep ache, and she couldn't even shift positions without pulling at the sticky poultices. _Where in StarClan's name could Sandpelt be?_ she wondered. She wanted _out_ of the stupid medicine den already.

The light shone through the entrance of the medicine den. It made the orange walls of rock shimmer with color. Red veins ran in small lines, as though claws had sliced parallel grooves all around the rock, in one long, continuous slash…

A pebble skittering across the stones woke Dawnpaw. "I'm awake, I'm awake," she mumbled groggily. Sandpelt slipped around Dawnpaw, heading for a pile of herbs and dropping a mouthful of leaves on them. He turned with a smile.

"I'm sorry to have made you wait so long," he meowed mildly. His mew was soft, but it carried in the echo-filled cave. "I didn't expect you to wake so early. The poppy seeds wore off more quickly than I thought they would, and Thistlepaw didn't know where I was."

Dawnpaw watched as the medicine cat prodded at the poultices that smeared her side with a claw. He looked into her eyes and felt her ribs, then padded into the crevice she'd noticed earlier. He returned with a bundle of sharp edged leaves.

"So…" Dawnpaw began, wincing slightly as he began to remove the old poultice. "When can I go back to the apprentice den?" A gasp of pain escaped her as he pressed the new one into her side.

Sandpelt wrinkled his nose. It looked quite silly, since the expression made his entire face scrunch up. Dawnpaw stifled a snort.

"You've got a few cracked ribs, but we were lucky. They should heal fairly quickly," Sandpelt said briskly, his face clearing. Dawnpaw grinned.

"Well, that's that, then," she chirped, and made to stand. Her side flashed with pain. Her vision went dark for a moment as she crumpled back into the nest.

Sandpelt hissed and checked her side again. "That doesn't mean you can go leaping about like a silly kit," he growled. He sat back, his ears flicking in irritation. "It will take at least a moon for the ribs to heal enough for you to get back to your apprentice duties."

"A moon!" That was the opposite what Dawnpaw would call 'fairly quickly'! "But I can't stop training for that long! I barely made my first kill, I…"

Sandpelt nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry; I know how frustrating it must sound. But trust me, you'll feel fine again in no time. For now, eat this." A small black seed lay on the ground where the medicine cat had set it. _Probably poppy_, Dawnpaw thought, and lapped it up. It wasn't long before Dawnpaw drifted into sleep, the ache in her side lessened.

~oOo~

The next days were an agony of pain and boredom for Dawnpaw. As eager as she was to get back to training, every time she so much as twisted the wrong way her side felt as though it was being pierced by burning thistle thorns. The cave was empty more often than not; Sandpelt bustled out as soon as the sun was up and only arrived back once the sun touched the horizon. By the fourth day of this, Dawnpaw was ready to claw herself out of the medicine den, broken ribs or no broken ribs.

The scuff of paws padding by her nest caused the restless apprentice to lift her head. The yellow fur of Sandpelt met her gaze and she settled back into the nest with a small grumble.

"Good morning, Dawnpaw," he murmured quietly. "I'm going to collect more thistle buds for your poultices." She didn't answer him. The medicine cat purred, almost too quietly for her to hear, and called, "Have a nice day!" as he trotted out of the cave.

Dawnpaw slowly stretched and sat up, careful not to strain her ribs. _I can't stand another day of doing _nothing_,_ she thought. Her pale green eyes flicked around the cave in an attempt to find something interesting to do. She thought of the dunes of pale sand waiting for her just outside the camp and sighed. It would be a long while before she could even make it on to the gentle sands, let alone out to the dunes.

Her eyes lit on the dark tunnel carved into the otherwise smooth walls of the cave. _That might be interesting_, Dawnpaw observed. A gleam entered her eyes. A furtive glance back at the bright entrance of the cave was the only hesitation she had before she crossed the intervening space gingerly and slipped into the dark tunnel.

~oOo~

Rainpaw blinked and stretched, feeling sticky poultices pull at his wounds. He could hear Moonstream's feather soft voice from somewhere nearby. He was still stretched on the grassy knoll of the GrassClan camp, he noted calmly. OneClan warriors were striding around the camp, poking their noses in the holes that he assumed were dens of some sort.

Moonstream walked over and nudged his shoulder. Her green eyes were gentle and timid as she checked his wounds over.

"Moonstream," he said softly, capturing her eyes. "Don't be afraid of me." He hated the pleading note that had entered his voice. "I was just trying to keep you safe."

She drooped and pulled away. "Rainpaw, I'm not afraid of you, no more than I am of Smokefoot or Blackflash or even Froststar. Just… don't become Tigerfrost, okay?" Rainpaw couldn't think of anything to say as she padded off to check the next patient.

The gray apprentice felt at his sides and sighed. He might as well rest a while longer before trying to get up and help. He felt a wave of tiredness sweep over him and fell back asleep to the whispering of the waving grass.

~oOo~

Dawnpaw stumbled down the narrow passageway, wincing as her tender side scraped the walls. Ahead, she could see a ghostly shimmer that she could not place, though the crevice was dark. Finally, she emerged into a cave and stopped. She gazed around in wonderment as she paused to catch her breath.

A pale ray of slanting sunlight slid through a narrow crack in the stone above her, gleaming down on a pool of still water. The reflections lit and bounced around the room, bathing the reddish walls in a silver-gray light. On the other side of the pond on a short peninsula of rock, a miraculous little bush stood stalwart. Its leaves were a startling green that Dawnpaw recognized from her father's eyes.

Sufficiently recovered from the descent to the little grotto, Dawnpaw carefully padded closer to the pond. She could feel a thrumming in the air, as if this were a holy place, not to be touched by unclean paws. She became aware of a burning thirst as she gazed at the pond. Dawnpaw dropped into a tense crouch and stretched forward.

As the drops of cool water touched her lips, Dawnpaw felt her eyes slam shut.

_A great, black sky stretched above her, unlit by stars or moon. Below it, a sand-strewn, cracked desert floor seemed to glow with an unearthly light. Dawnpaw glanced around her, feeling unnerved by the strange place. A breeze picked up and blew across the flat landscape, carrying an eerie whistling sound that Dawnpaw could almost imagine was a mournful wail. She ducked to avoid the stinging sand that clawed at her face._

Where am I? _she wondered. The dark sky glowered down at her. This desert wasn't the same as her home; it lacked all the warmth and comfort of DesertClan's territory._ _Dawnpaw shivered and padded along the chilly sands. She kept her eyes fixed on the horizon, hoping that it would guide her in the featureless, sandy landscape._

_ "Dawnpaw?" The apprentice jerked and spun around at the sudden noise. A cream she-cat with amber eyes stood behind her. Her pelt stood on end, but something seemed strange about it. The she-cat seemed to… glimmer? With a shiver, Dawnpaw realized where she must have been. _Starclan! _She gazed into the she-cat's eyes and felt a sort of vague recognition._

_ "Who are you?" she asked. The she-cat's wide amber eyes narrowed in sadness._

_ "My name is Featherfur, Dawnpaw," she said. "I was your mother's littermate." Dawnpaw gasped, suddenly seeing the resemblance in the heart shape of her face and the tufted tail. _

_ "And…where are we?" _

_ A troubled look rolled across Featherfur's face. "We're in the Desert of No Stars. We shouldn't be here." At that she turned and flicked her tail. "Come with me." She took off across the desert, leaving Dawnpaw to follow in her wake. Glancing one last time at the empty sands behind her, the apprentice sprinted after the starry warrior._

_ She noticed changes in the desert around her as she and Featherfur ran. It started with a lightening in the sky, as stars slowly flickered to life. Then she felt comforting warmth envelop her paws as the sands regained their natural heat. She sighed with relief, feeling a tension she hadn't been conscious of seep out of her. Finally, Featherfur slowed to a halt and whirled around. Dawnpaw just flopped down and rolled in the luxurious warm sands, purring all the while. _

_ "Dawnpaw, it's time for you to go," Featherfur said, her voice thrumming with contained laughter. Dawnpaw looked at her mother's littermate as she sprawled on her back. The creamy she-cat was upside down. She found it strangely funny. _

_ "You don't belong here, Dawnpaw. And please don't go snooping around where you shouldn't from now on." Featherfur's voice grew dark. "I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't found you."_

_ Dawnpaw rolled to her feet. She saw the shadows in her kin's eyes and for the first time felt afraid. Featherfur continued, "You'll be back here again, Dawnpaw. StarClan isn't through with you yet." Before Dawnpaw could ask what she meant, a gust of wind rippled across the sands and a sea of starry-furred warriors appeared, gazing at her. Then, in a moment, it was all gone and Dawnpaw was spiraling into darkness._

The apprentice woke with a gasp, her muzzle tingling from contact with the pond. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the cave and the burning in her ribs. The little bush across the pond seemed to wink in its own personal halo of sunlight. Dawnpaw clambered to her paws. _I miss not being in pain_, she thought, remembering StarClan. She turned and wiggled through the crevice.

When Sandpelt returned to the cave that night, he found Dawnpaw curled up in her sandy nest, fast asleep.

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	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

GrassClan was settled over a massive territory consisting of identical rolling fields of grass and extraordinarily few landmarks. Rainpaw wasn't pleased to discover this, especially since he had two rabbits in his jaws and they were _heavy_. He thought he recognized that tree, but then again, he had also thought he'd recognized that funny shaped bush. He dropped his rabbits and sighed.

He was lost.

A rustle, not unusual on the wind-swept plains, sounded through the grass. Rainpaw unsheathed his claws just in case. A gray and white head poked out of the swaying stalks.

"Pinewind," Rainpaw exclaimed with more than a little relief. Her green eyes sparkled.

"Nice day to be lost, wouldn't you say?" she teased. Rainpaw rolled his eyes and nudged a rabbit at her.

"Just help me get back so we can eat," he said.

"Tigerfrost is looking for you, you know," she replied as she reached out to grab the rabbit in her teeth. Rainpaw grunted through a mouthful of his other rabbit. They trotted companionably through the stalks of grass, with Pinewind leading the way through the identical stalks of grass. Rainpaw didn't know how she did it. _Scouts_, he declared to himself, as though that explained everything.

It turned out that he'd been walking the wrong way for most of the morning. It figured. But finally, Rainpaw caught the scent of the cats of OneClan and GrassClan and saw the trails they'd pounded into the stalks of swaying grass. Pinewind led the way onto the knoll and set the rabbit down on the pitifully small freshkill pile. Rainpaw sighed. He knew that the GrassClan cats needed to be watched carefully for signs of rebellion, but the OneClan warriors did nothing but scare prey away when they accompanied the smaller plains cats hunting.

"It looks like he's over there with Blackflash," Pinewind murmured, flicking her tail. Rainpaw followed the motion, seeing that she was right. Sighing once again, he bid the scout goodbye. No matter what he did lately, it was always wrong when it came to Tigerfrost. He anticipated this conversation would be no more fun than the last few.

Blackflash's sharp green eyes scanned the apprentice. Rainpaw tried to stand tall against the cold gaze, wondering if she found him wanting. "Don't forget, Tigerfrost," she flung over her shoulder, and then slid away on nearly noiseless paws.

A scowl was on Tigerfrost's face as Rainpaw turned back to him.

"Pinewind told me you wanted to see me," Rainpaw said warily. His mentor snorted derisively.

"I take it you've been hunting," the massive tabby replied. "I'm patrolling with Froststar to mark our borders at sunhigh." Rainpaw nodded; he'd been expecting it now that they'd wrestled GrassClan under control. "There will be a Clan meeting at moonrise. Until then, you're to guard that den." Tigerfrost's tail flicked towards a large mound carved out of the ground.

"Understood, sir."

Tigerfrost growled under his breath and stalked away, his striped pelt rippling under the sun the same way the grass rippled under the wind. The apprentice glanced at the mound and grinned. Poor Screechpaw looked so bereft, guarding that den there. Rainpaw saw no problem in making him wait just a _little_ longer. Or a lot longer. He sat down and began grooming his thick gray chest fur. Every now and again he caught Screechpaw's yellow eyes and grinned at him.

After a while, Rainpaw rolled his eyes and trotted over with a chuckle. "I'm to relieve you, Screechpaw," he said cheerily. The other apprentice growled at him and stalked off, only to plop down a few foxlengths away for a nap. _Lazy mousebrain,_ Rainpaw thought. It occurred to him that cats' growling at him was becoming a trend. As he sat down outside the entrance to the mound, his nose caught a soft, milky scent. The nursery. A faint mewling drifted through the tunnel to meet his ears.

For the first time since the battle, Rainpaw thought about the cats he had fought. So many of them had been trapped inside the dens, but he remembered Nettlesting, that troublesome amber-eyed coward, and the yellow-brown tom that had nearly ripped off his foot. He wondered whether the cream she-cat whose belly he'd mangled was in the nursery, with the queens and the kits. A twinge of guilt flickered inside him as he heard another plaintive mew echo up the tunnel. If it wasn't for OneClan, they would not be going hungry. Rainpaw sighed angrily and fluffed out his fur.

"We're uniting the land," he muttered. He'd seen the southern conquest; he knew how much better conditions were for OakClan and PineClan now, and for those valley cats from below the mountain. _GrassClan will be the same_, he declared to himself. His father would make it so.

"Guard," a voice hissed. Rainpaw jumped and wrenched around at the sound. Sharp yellow eyes blinked out of the gloom at him and the apprentice felt a flush creep under his fur at reacting so anxiously.

"Yes?"

The she-cat padded forward, and Rainpaw nearly snorted at the irony of it. _Speak of the cat,_ he thought. The cream colored cat from the battle glared at him with her accusing yellow eyes. "The kits are hungry. We need food."

"I'll find someone to get a rabbit to you soon," he replied. Her proud head tilted upwards in disgust and she turned to pad down into the darkness again. Rainpaw felt that same fluttering of guilt in his heart again.

"What is your name?" The words leaped unbidden from his tongue. The she-cat turned back to him with wariness in her eyes.

"What does it matter to you, _kit_?"

"I—well, I…" Rainpaw trailed off, feeling his fur prick with embarrassment. Was it hot, or was that just his fluffy pelt talking? And really, why _did_ he want to know? He dropped his eyes from her burning yellow gaze. She snorted.

"It's Heatherclaw, little kit. See that we get the rabbit." Her cream tail swished as she retreated into the darkness of the den once more. Rainpaw huffed and sat down.

"This _kit_ managed to claw you to shreds during the battle, Heatherclaw," he muttered under his breath. Still, a smile crept onto his face.

"Hey Screechpaw," he called, a mischievous grin flitting across his lips. "Go fetch the prisoners a rabbit, would you?" The other apprentice lifted his head and growled. Rainpaw chuckled. Messing with that furball was just too much fun.

~oOo~

Sunset painted the sky with burnished oranges and fiery reds by the time Crowthorn came to relieve him. By then, the dark gray apprentice had become tired and hungry, ready for a nap after his day of hunting and guarding, and he sensed that somehow Crowthorn could see his weakness. Rainpaw hated his narrowed amber eyes; the warrior seemed to always be sizing a cat up, looking for a lapse in their defenses. It gave Rainpaw the creeps.

All Rainpaw wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep, but he remembered Tigerfrost's instructions about the meeting and grudgingly padded over to the knoll where he knew his father would hold it. The sun slipped over the horizon quicker than Rainpaw expected. Soon, stars twinkled in the purpling sky. Paw steps rustled in the trampled grass nearby and Rainpaw turned his head to meet Swanblossom's green eyes. He nodded in greeting and gave her a weary smile.

Suddenly, a white pelt flashed in the gloom, springing up onto the hillock in the middle of the clearing. The moon broke over the horizon at that moment, illuminating Froststar's fur with its fine glow as he prepared to call the meeting.

"Father does love to be dramatic, doesn't he?" Swanblossom muttered to Rainpaw. He snorted.

"Let every cat old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the hillock for a Clan meeting!" The ceremonial call rang out from Froststar's lips. Moonstream padded up to her sister's side, and the other cats filled in around them. The leader of OneClan shimmered in the moonlight.

"OneClan! I believe congratulations are in order!" Froststar called, smiling as cheers went up from the assembled crowd of cats. "You fought admirably for our cause, and I thank each of you for your dedication. Thanks to you, GrassClan will soon be another part of our great empire!" More cheering rose from the crowd.

Froststar flicked his tail and a cat broke off from the crowd and darted away. "Now, as always, we offer the defeated a choice." The cat returned, leading a line of bedraggled GrassClan cats. The crowd of OneClan parted as Blackflash and Crowthorn led them to the leader. Rainpaw heard nothing but a faint hiss as they padded past.

"Cats of GrassClan," Froststar began in a deep rumble. "The choice is simple: agree to join OneClan and fight with us, and we shall forgive your resistance."

"And if we don't?" A burly brown and black tom shouldered his way to the front of the crowd. "What then, Froststar?"

Froststar's blue gaze burned into the tom. Finally he asked, "What is your name, GrassClan cat?"

The mottled tom lifted his head defiantly. "I am Boulderfur, deputy of GrassClan."

"Well, Boulderfur, you are deputy no longer. Your feeble declarations will not protect you from the treason you committed against OneClan by fighting against us."

The mottled tom hissed. He whirled around to face his brethren. "GrassClan! See how he twists words? This is no leader, just a coward and a murderer trying to take our way of life from us! We must resist!"

Froststar stood, his face expressionless. A dingy furred tom crept forward. "I will join you, Froststar," he mewed, fear on his face. Boulderfur spat angrily.

"Burrowfoot, you coward," he hissed.

Froststar's impassive gaze flicked back to the former deputy. "He has made his choice, and we will welcome him. Now is the time for you to do the same, or face the consequences."

Boulderfur stalked forward, flicking his tail. Rainpaw glanced anxiously at the GrassClan cats bristling in the center of the clearing. He saw fire in some of the cats' eyes, fear in others'. But the deputy kept on.

"Froststar, if you thought killing Rustlestar would silence us all, you were wrong. GrassClan will never bow to you, not now and not ever. We will die fighting before we agree to join you, that _coward_ notwithstanding." He swept feverish eyes over the remains of his Clan for a moment. "GrassClan, attack!" He sprang for the hillock.

Before Rainpaw's wide eyes, Froststar batted the former deputy out of the air and leaped on him. Yowls sliced through the air as many of the GrassClan cats jumped towards a battle they could not win. As Blackflash and Crowthorn took down a pair of cats, all Rainpaw could hope was that Heatherclaw _did not join in_. It took barely moments for the rebellion to be quelled.

Rainpaw felt frozen in place as he watched his father pin Boulderfur in place. His icy blue eyes swept the crowd of OneClan and GrassClan assembled before him.

"I offer kindness again and again, but you do not seem to understand. Rebellions cannot be tolerated. However, my offer still extends to any cat who yields."

Even to the last, Boulderfur spit and struggled. "Never, Froststar!" Disdainful blue eyes bored into the former GrassClan deputy's.

"Then you earn your fate," Rainpaw's father proclaimed. Then his blinding white paw darted out, quick as a snake. Rainpaw could see the surprise on the fallen cat's face even from across the clearing as massive white claws bit into his throat and _ripped_. The other GrassClan cats murmured fearfully.

Heatherclaw padded forward from a group of queens, her yellow eyes horrified. "We yield, Froststar."

Rainpaw hardly felt when Swanblossom brushed her pelt against his own, hardly listened as his father proclaimed their wonderful cause to them again. Looking at the terrified GrassClan cats —no, they were OneClan now— Rainpaw shivered.

It was hard to feel good about their victory with blood staining his father's claws. The moon continued to shine down upon the leader's pure white coat as Boulderfur's blood soaked into the grass.

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	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

A pained hiss rang out through the cave as Sandpelt dug just a little too _vigorously_ into the poultice. His amber eyes flicked to Dawnpaw's face.

"Ah, no, I'm fine," she said, just a touch breathlessly. It didn't seem to be fooling him. "_Honestly_, Sandpelt, I feel _fine_. The only thing wrong with me is that these stupid leaves are all still stuck to me."

The medicine cat scrunched up his face and returned to scraping at the poultices. "Cheeky kit," he muttered. Dawnpaw's only response was a grin. She was absolutely pining for the moment when she'd be free of the medicine den. Half a moon had already passed, half a moon in which she had done nothing but languish in the cave and eat freshkill brought to her by the efforts of other warriors. She was not a kit anymore. No cat should be bringing her food— she should be bringing _them_ food. The sunlight slanting through the red mouth of the cave seemed to tease her every day.

"…don't even know how the ribs healed this fast, anyways…" came an irritated mutter from her side. Dawnpaw's light green eyes fixed on the medicine cat as he kept at his painstaking work. _Just a little more,_ she thought eagerly.

"Yes! I'm free!" Dawnpaw scrambled gingerly to her feet, considered a jump for joy, and then decided it would be a bad idea. "Thank you for healing me, Sandpelt, bye!" Teeth clamped around her tail.

"Not tho fatht," Sandpelt lisped around a mouth full of her tufted tail. Dawnpaw turned and sat with a thump, wincing as her tender ribs twinged. "You are _not allowed_ to leave the camp yet."

"Wha—"

The medicine cat cut her off. "Not even to make dirt, you hear me? Amberflight can say whatever she likes, you are staying within these walls. I don't even like letting you out of the medicine den to begin with."

Dawnpaw hung her head. "Okay Sandpelt," she sighed.

It took a little excitement out of being back in the sunshine, that was for sure. The desert sands were just winking at her from the entrance to their enclosed clearing. Morning shadows still slanted towards the west, casting a cool shade where the elders rested. There wasn't much _bustle _going on; the morning patrols had already left and the sunhigh patrol was probably still asleep. A pair of warriors was sharing a meal near a small rock fall, but she couldn't quite see who they were. No, the only interesting thing Dawnpaw saw… well, it was outside camp.

"And I'm _not allowed_ to leave camp," she muttered, sticking her tongue out.

"Why the face, Dawnpaw?"

Dawnpaw flinched and jumped around, and then flinched some more, as she tried to face her mentor. Great _Starclan_ her ribs still hurt! Her rueful green eyes met her mentor's amber ones.

"I'm not allowed to leave camp yet. Sandpelt's orders."

Amberflight sighed heavily, her eyes flicking angrily to the medicine cave. "Coyotes," she cursed under her breath.

"Sorry." Amberflight's eyes raked over her dejected apprentice.

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault the thing mauled you. Just… go check if the elders need anything and later we'll deal with the queens' nests." Dawnpaw blinked as her mentor whirled around and disappeared into the desert. A heat mirage in the distance made the sands ripple. It was pretty, like running water…

What was she doing again?

Elders. Right. Dawnpaw turned to the shady rock fall where the elders had situated themselves.

Mistbark looked up as Dawnpaw walked over and flicked Gorsetail with her tail. Her cloudy blue eyes crinkled in a smile.

"Hello, dear," she greeted. The apprentice smiled back.

"Hi Mistbark. Amberflight sent me to see if you two needed anything."

Gorsetail frowned and flicked his ears. "What was that?" he meowed, nearly a shout. Dawnpaw sighed. He was the oldest cat in the Clan, and the deafest. Mistbark turned to her hearing impaired mate and repeated Dawnpaw's words.

"Oh," he grunted. "My nest is getting all clumpy, might as well see to that," he said to Dawnpaw. Mistbark smiled in her general direction and nodded. The sweet old she-cat had trouble seeing, what with the film over her eyes. Dawnpaw nodded and lumbered off to the elders' den. They were really a sweet pair, and, well, they completed each other. _If he had one of her ears and she had one of his eyes, they'd be set_, Dawnpaw thought acidly. The desert winked at her. It was _maddening_. Being stuck in the stupid camp was making her cranky.

The slightly musty scent of the elders floated out of a small cave set low in the rock circle of the camp. The nursery was only a few catlengths from here actually, she remembered, and sure enough she caught the scent of milk on a stray breeze. Turning away, she padded through the entrance to the elders' cave. It was noticeably cooler inside, and dim. It took a moment for Dawnpaw's eyes to adjust, and then the drudgery began. She knew _how_ to clean out nests, but she hadn't actually had to _do _it yet. Now she understood Sparkpaw's griping. The sand got everywhere—in her fur, in her claws, and somehow, disgustingly enough, in her mouth. It took her forever to finally get all the dirty sand outside and swept into the dirtcorner. Some of the apprentices would scoop it out of the camp later.

Dawnpaw had stopped for a moment to lick her aching side when a shadow loomed over her.

"Back in action already, Dawnpaw?" Hawkstar asked. Dawnpaw smoothed her ruffled fur and nodded. Hawkstar smiled and padded away, calling, "Keep up the good work!" to her on his way out of camp. Dawnpaw watched enviously for a few more moments, before she growled and swept the last of the dirty sand into their dirtcorner. She slunk across the camp into the red shadow of a sculpted wall. She definitely couldn't take this anymore.

"Thistlepaw," she hissed into the apprentice cave. Sleepy amber eyes blinked at her from within.

"What, Dawnpaw? I was sleeping," he complained. She rolled her eyes and beckoned with her tail.

"I've got to get out of here," she meowed, and then turned away. A smile flickered across her face when she heard her friend's pawsteps behind her.

"I thought you weren't supposed to leave camp," he muttered to her.

"What of it?"

Thistlepaw sighed. "We're going to be in so much trouble."

"Only if we get caught!" Dawnpaw grinned at her friend and, with a last glance around the camp to make sure no one was looking, sprinted for the desert. Thistlepaw streaked along at her side, a somber look on his face.

"Oh, lighten up you big furball," Dawnpaw laughed. She batted a pawful of sand at Thistlepaw.

"Hey," he protested with a grin, and lobbed a pawful right back. The two squealed and ran across the dunes, tumbling gently across the scorching sand. Dawnpaw couldn't remember having more fun.

A shadow suddenly loomed over them. "Woah," they breathed in unison.

"Are these the same cliffs we saw that first day?" Dawnpaw asked softly. Thistlepaw shook his head.

"I don't remember this stretch. We're farther south than before," he replied. Dawnpaw stared for a moment longer and then trotted forwards.

"We should check it out," she chirped. She scrambled up the sides of a few loose boulders, peering ahead at the jagged cliff-side. "Look at this ravine!" Her green eyes grew wide as she trotted through the downward sloping canyon. It was made of the same rock as the camp, sculpted red with grooves scored in it, like thousands of continuous claw marks. Spires of the rock were carved into fantastic shapes, and she could hear a breeze whistling up the walls. Thistlepaw seemed equally awed as the two padded forward together.

"What's that?" Thistlepaw asked suddenly. Dawnpaw stopped and flicked her ears around. "That screeching," her friend clarified. She shrugged but a new gleam had entered her eye.

"I've never heard anything like it," she said, and then ran forward, heedless of the ache in her side.

"Hey Thistlepaw, look! There's some water over here!" The creamy apprentice dipped her head and lapped up a sip. Her face wrinkled. "Gross, it's all sandy." Thistlepaw snorted.

"What did you expect, lizardbrain?" His amber eyes swept over the gleaming water. "Look, there are more puddles!"

Dawnpaw grinned mischievously. "Well what are we waiting for?" She leaped up and splashed through the water, leaving Thistlepaw to sprint in her wake. The breeze grew stronger the farther they ran up the ravine, and the downward slope was broken by flat hollows that collected water in shallow pools. The desert heat was almost temperate within these ruddy walls. Dawnpaw edged ahead, kicking up water from the little pools into Thistlepaw's face.

"Cheater," he spluttered, laughing as salty droplets landed on his tongue and nose.

A crashing roar suddenly echoed through the ravine. Dawnpaw tripped and rolled, crying out in pain as her ribs were jostled. Thistlepaw felt his heart jump in his chest. Without thought he leaped to shield her. Another roar rolled through the smooth stone walls of the ravine. His amber eyes couldn't move fast enough. The roars settled into a strange booming rhythm. Each one sent a shock through his body.

"Do you smell that?" Dawnpaw asked suddenly.

"What? Smell what?"

"It's like that puddle earlier." A bemused note entered her voice. "What are you doing?"

Thistlepaw felt his fur grow warm. "Uhh…"

"Lemme up, birdbrain," she giggled. She rolled stiffly to her feet. She flashed him a cheeky look and then picked her way forward. Thistlepaw was surprised to see blue ahead—the ravine's end, he realized. The roars were fading into rustling crashes. He'd never heard anything like it. The rock underneath his paws was no longer smooth. The familiar give of sand settled his nerves a bit.

Dawnpaw froze suddenly, and Thistlepaw instantly went on edge. "Woah," she breathed for the second time that day. Thistlepaw's amber eyes grew round as boulders. An endless desert of blue spread out before the apprentice's eyes, rolling like sand dunes under a heavy wind. The thunderous crashing that had scared him in the ravine filled his ears now as he watched the blue dunes leap onto the sandy shore and just as quickly ebb away. The smell of salt was heavy in the air. A brisk breeze ruffled his fur.

"I think it's water," he finally said. Dawnpaw flicked her light green eyes at him questioningly. "I felt drops hit me."

"But everything here is salty. Rainwater isn't salty," Dawnpaw frowned. Her eyes were just as big as Thistlepaw's. "It just goes on forever, doesn't it?" Thistlepaw nodded. It scared him a little. Dawnpaw shivered and pressed herself Thistlepaw's side. It was a warm day even with the breeze, but she felt cold and small.

Thistlepaw looked down the wide strip of sand between that roiling water and the red cliffs. It looked like there was only a small strip of sand before the cliffs hemmed this place in again, the ravine being the only outlet. He turned his amber gaze to his friend and nudged her. "Come on, fearless leader, let's explore this place. You're the one who dragged me out here in the first place, remember?"

Dawnpaw looked up him and grinned. "You're on, furball. First one to that cave wins."

Her boundless energy was contagious. Thistlepaw couldn't resist her grin as he bounded after her once more.

* * *

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	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"I don't understand why this is so hard for you," Tigerfrost growled, prowling in a circle around Rainpaw. He was flat on his back again, slammed there for the thousandth time by his mentor's strong paws.

"There's no way for me to knock you off your feet, Tigerfrost," the apprentice snarled back. A frontal attack on an opponent nearly twice as big as he was? It was folly, no matter how much his broad paws promised he'd grow. Rainpaw flipped to his feet and shook out his blue-gray fur. Bits of grass and twigs clung to him like swamp leeches. Tigerfrost snorted, his icy yellow eyes lighting as the apprentice took his bait.

"Is the little leader's son too good for this training, then? Show me a better way, kit!"

Rainpaw growled. He streaked at his mentor, hoping the speed would surprise the older warrior. If he just rammed hard enough into his knees, it might send him tumbling. He lowered his shoulder.

Tigerfrost's massive paw slammed into him once more, sending him tumbling sideways. Rainpaw was dizzy and disoriented by the time he came to a stop, and his mentor was already on top of him, pinning him with a paw to the throat. He went perfectly still.

"You are a pathetic fighter, little kit. I don't know how you survived the battle. Find some way to execute this move by next time or we fight for real."

Rainpaw fought not to shiver. He nodded as much as the paw on his throat would allow. Tigerfrost leaned close and growled, "Good," before turning and stalking away. Rainpaw climbed to his feet. He could already feel aches from his mentor's powerful blows. The older tom had never held back, not even when Rainpaw had been a new apprentice. Fighting for real was the same as practice—the only difference was, for real had claws. Rainpaw couldn't think of anything to do but wander back to the knoll.

The past half-moon had been a frenzy of change around the GrassClan camp. The size had been doubled to make room for the OneClan army, with nests of grass exposed to the open air as the GrassClan converts labored to dig underground dens. Rainpaw still scoffed at that, though the strong winds at night chilled him to the bone. The tangle of brambles was also being removed in favor of better fortifications. Already, the territory was being scoured for bramble bushes to be woven into a wall around the base of the knoll. Though attack was unlikely, Froststar was always known for being prepared.

Rainpaw saw a white pelt flashing towards him and grinned. "Swanblossom," he called. Her green eyes flicked towards him.

"Oh good, you can help with this bramble we found," she said, and flicked her tail. Rainpaw trotted behind her. The grass obscured the scene right up until the moment when Rainpaw ran up on the bramble bush. Toadflick let out a chuckle through a mouthful of the spiny plant.

"Ow, there's a reason we use these to defend the camp," Rainpaw yelped. He bounced away, yanking thorns out of his pads. They _stung_!

"No kidding," Toadflick laughed around the bramble. Swanblossom just shook her head and grabbed on to a branch. Rainpaw copied her and the three of them began dragging the heavy bush towards the knoll. It was hard work in the hot sun, and Rainpaw looked forward to a nice nap once they put the bramble in place. The day had already been an exhausting whirlwind.

Back at camp it didn't take long to fix the bramble to the perimeter defenses. Toadflick chuckled more than once at Rainpaw's blunders as they tangled the spiny plant to the other brambles. _Fine for him to laugh, he's not being scratched to StarClan,_ he thought grumpily.

"Thanks for your help, Rainpaw," Toadflick said when they were finally done. The gray furred apprentice shook plant bits out of his coat and nodded.

"What are apprentices for, right?"

The older cat laughed and trotted away, flicking his tail in a quick farewell. Rainpaw glanced at Swanblossom.

"Is everything okay?" Rainpaw muttered quietly. He didn't like the faraway look in her eyes. She'd been subdued all morning and it was starting to worry him. Swanblossom turned her green eyes to the apprentice and sighed.

"Sure, Rainpaw, sure. Just feeling homesick, I guess."

Rainpaw wasn't sure why she was lying to him. It made him angry. He shook his head. "I'm going to go take a nap." He trotted away without another word. Maybe it was his tiredness that was putting him in such a bad mood. Sleep would do him some good.

"Rainpaw," a voice called, and Rainpaw almost growled aloud before he realized whose it was. Blackflash was at his side in an instant. "Your father asked to see you." Rainpaw resisted the urge to sigh. He should have known sleep would elude him. Blackflash's thin tail whipped excitedly through the air with the lightning quick energy she never seemed to lose.

"This way," the deputy said, and flicked her tail for him to follow up the side of the knoll. Rainpaw fought with his paws to hurry as Blackflash pulled farther and farther ahead. They ran clear across the crest of the knoll, rushing down the other side and past the perimeter, into the rustling grasses. Even after their half-moon in GrassClan territory, the breezes still confused Rainpaw's nose. There were too many scents from too many directions. Blackflash seemed able to navigate with ease, however, darting through the grass with confidence.

It took a while for Rainpaw to pick out the scent she was following. The trail of broken stalks was much easier for the apprentice to notice. Blackflash streaked ahead, seeming to gain energy as they went on. For Rainpaw it was the opposite. He was beginning to really feel the bruises from Tigerfrost's training and his pads were scratched messes from dealing with the bramble defenses.

"Keep up, Rainpaw," Blackflash called. She barely slowed as she raced in a circle around the apprentice. Her green eyes shone with a special fervor. "Don't keep Froststar waiting."

"I can't, Blackflash, I can't," he panted out. His legs trembled. He felt on the edge of collapse. The deputy's eyes sparked dangerously.

"Rainpaw, you are part of your father's great legacy." Her thin black tail curled around him as she inexorably drew him forward. "When he was an apprentice he came down from the mountains in the dead of night and walked for a full day and a full night, and when he found me being attacked by a fox, he fought it off singlehandedly. Exhaustion has never stopped him, and if you're his son, it won't stop you."

The frantic tumble of words cut off suddenly. Blackflash's manic gaze trapped Rainpaw as they both froze. "Don't you dare let him down, Rainpaw," she said. And then suddenly Rainpaw was free and she was off again, darting into the grass. Rainpaw slowly felt his heart restart.

His father's white pelt gleamed from the top of a small rise, his long fur whipping in the wind. Rainpaw felt his own fur begin to flap as he ascended from the cover of the grass. His father turned, freezing the apprentice with his blue gaze.

"Ah, Rainpaw. I wondered when you'd arrive."

Rainpaw ducked his head. He pushed away his exhaustion, remembering Blackflash's words. The green eyes she-cat nodded to him and vanished into the grasses, pausing only long enough to send a shining glance at Froststar.

"Let's take a walk, shall we?" the leader asked, though it was clearly not a question. His pelt rippled as he strode forward. He was as powerful and tireless as a glacier.

"I haven't had time to speak with you since we reached the edge of our forest territory. How are you doing?"

Rainpaw was taken aback. When had his father ever been so soft around him? "F-fine, I guess," he answered, not sure what he was expected to say.

A deeper edge entered the leader's voice. "Tigerfrost tells me that you've been falling behind in your battle training."

Anger sparked in Rainpaw's chest. _That crowfood eating gossip…_ "He expects me to do the impossible," Rainpaw growled.

"There is a reason I made the best fighter in OneClan your mentor, Rainpaw. It is not your place to say what is and isn't impossible. If he expects you to do it, I expect as much too."

It took a moment for Rainpaw to realize that neither of them were walking anymore, that he'd been frozen in another cat's gaze _again._ It scared him, how many powerful cats were around him. Blackflash's unpredictable moods and deadly speed, Tigerfrost's barely controlled physical power, those terrified him. Most of all, though, Froststar's undeniable _power_ petrified him. It was more than his physical build—otherwise Tigerfrost would have betrayed him long ago. Froststar simply oozed charisma, a promise that if a cat was set against him, that cat would lose. When Rainpaw was caught by his father's eyes, he felt as though he were being weighed and found wanting. His judgment was just being postponed.

"Let's move on. There's a reason I've brought you out here," Froststar said finally. They walked on, though it felt as though they'd already been walking for hours. The sun was hanging tiredly in the sky directly ahead of them. It looked as ready to go to sleep as Rainpaw was. The soft loamy earth that cushioned the long grasses was growing rougher, though, and Rainpaw could see that the generally uniform terrain was growing hillier the farther they walked. He had to push his aching muscles to follow his father up the slope.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Froststar breathed as he gazed at the vista spread before the two cats. Rainpaw didn't agree. The hills descended into a sea of sand, emptier than Wavestorm's home—at least the ex-SeaClan tom could snag fish from the ocean. Rainpaw couldn't think of anything that would be able to live in that dust bowl. Even in the cooling light of the evening Rainpaw could see heat mirages dancing across the sand. There was nothing to break up the glaring, heat-filled emptiness.

Froststar's eyes reflected the orange sands. "The scouts say that there is a Clan that lives there, in the middle of all of that sand. Imagine their resilience," the leader said, his deep voice rough with admiration. Rainpaw looked up at Froststar with trepidation. _We are _not_ built for this place_, he thought nervously.

"I've visited this border twice since we incorporated GrassClan. Once we are finished with our mission here, we will descend into the desert, just as I have planned. It will be the biggest challenge OneClan has faced, I think."

The sun drooped and hit the horizon, sending a wave of orange light across the sands, across Froststar's eyes and fur. He looked like a cat on fire. "I'm counting on you to be the best, Rainpaw. You're going to have more responsibility than ever before once we take the desert. Don't let me down."

Rainpaw felt a thrill run through him. With fervor like that, what cat wouldn't be inspired? "I won't, sir," he promised. _Just let StarClan smile on us enough to get us there_, Rainpaw prayed. Froststar's lips curved upward for an instant.

"Then let's get back to the Clan. There's work to do yet!" Rainpaw took off after his father, the two of them chasing their shadows back to camp.

~O~

Rainpaw dropped into his nest as the others trooped below ground to the rabbit dens. The wind was already chilling his coat, sending the grass into rippling waves. The sound of it crashed against his ears. The apprentice could feel exhaustion pulling at his eyelids, but every time he closed his eyes, his agitation opened them.

He'd have to face Tigerfrost in the morning. His foul tempered mentor wouldn't be pleased with excuses of tiredness if he failed again. Rainpaw's mind filled with more agitation. How was any small cat supposed to tackle a larger one? He was too slow to get to Tigerfrost's knees, too small to get much leverage against his sides… But his father didn't make Tigerfrost his mentor on a whim. There had to be a trick.

Rainpaw spent what felt like days tossing and turning before falling asleep without an answer. He was still drooping with tiredness when he awoke. Every pawstep felt weighed down. He scarfed down a field mouse and then followed heavily after Tigerfrost when the tabby tom flicked his tail. The perfect circle of tramped down grass was becoming a familiar training ground for Rainpaw. Tigerfrost turned a contemptuous yellow eye on his apprentice and smiled a threatening half smile.

"Let's see if there's any improvement since yesterday, kit."

Rainpaw felt like a badger was trying to claw its way out of his stomach. _I can't do this,_ he thought in a panic. Tigerfrost's malicious yellow eyes gleamed across the clearing at him. His thoughts from the night before floated through his brain… _there has to be a trick_. Trick. A plan formed in his head pieced together from his hurried thoughts.

The gray apprentice hurled himself forward just as he had the day before, sprinting across the clearing. He could see Tigerfrost's chest muscles bunching to swat him away again. A heartbeat later he threw himself to the ground, sliding underneath the swiping paw and slamming his back against the now unbalanced warrior. He could feel Tigerfrost stumble and quickly sprang away, ready for the claws.

A deep chuckle met Rainpaw's ears. It took a moment for him to realize his fur was on end.

"Well done, kit," Tigerfrost said, still laughing in his deep voice. "StarClan knows you're too tiny to actually knock me down, but that was good enough." The tabby flicked his tail in dismissal at the apprentice. "I get to tell your father the good news."

Rainpaw couldn't help himself. "What's that?"

Tigerfrost blinked lazily at him and drawled contemptuously, "That you're not a complete failure after all," as he walked past.

* * *

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	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Hey, Dawnpaw…"

"Hold on a second." The apprentice's eyes were tracking back and forth. Her hindquarters wiggled back and forth as she prepared to spring.

"Dawnpaw!"

Dawnpaw let out a frustrated growl as the strange bird leaped into the air. She sprinted forward, spraying sand high into the air. Behind her she could hear Thistlepaw spluttering and broke into laughter as she gave up the chase. The bird squawked angrily from the air.

"What do you want, lizard-brain?" she giggled, circling back around to where her friend was sitting. His black coat was gilded from behind by the sun's light. Thistlepaw flicked his tail at the reddish orb hanging above the roiling salty water.

"Oh, StarClan! Have we really been here that long?"

"Yup."

"Well come on!" Dawnpaw barely gathered a breath before she was sprinting back up the ravine. The rocks streaked past in one red blur, with the roaring of the water receding behind her with each passing breath. She could hear Thistlepaw's thumping pawsteps behind her, but that was all the notice she paid to her friend. Amberslash was going to _kill_ her. The second her paws hit sand she leaped forward even faster. The sky was the dun yellow that followed a hot desert day, the horizon behind the sheer brown cliffs the barest tinge of red.

Dawnpaw had a newfound hatred of this time of day.

"Hurry, Thistlepaw!" she barked out between gasps. Those coyotes could be anywhere.

He grunted and pushed up to run beside her. Their two pelts moved in unison up and down the dunes, like a hare and its shadow. The light was fading fast. Already there was little evidence of red near the horizon, a deep purple spreading across the sky like a bruise. It spread like the pain that was radiating once again from Dawnpaw's ribs.

The scent that Dawnpaw was dreading most finally reached her nose: rotten vulture-meat and musty, stale fur. Her heart leaped in her chest but she couldn't push herself any faster. Thistlepaw drew nearer, as if he were going to shove her forward with his shoulder. _The camp can't be much farther away_, she thought desperately.

"I guess you get to see some coyotes today, Thistlepaw," she gasped out. She couldn't run any more. She didn't think she could survive a fight either. Her paws drifted to a halt, scuffing furrows in the sand. Thistlepaw's amber eyes met her green ones.

"Good thing Batclaw taught me some battle moves, then," he replied. His face was devoid of emotion.

Dawnpaw didn't turn as she heard the coyotes surge over the dunes. They formed a ring just like the sand dunes, concentric circles that formed a sealed pit. Thistlepaw's fur stood on end, his amber eyes burning and his fangs gleaming as he hissed at the ugly creatures. They snarled and barked right back, their hungry eyes running over the apprentices.

One leaped at Thistlepaw from behind. Dawnpaw jumped forward and slashed it across the nose, sending it whimpering away. Another lunged for them, allowing Thistlepaw to latch onto its neck. He clawed and bit until the thing howled, but Dawnpaw was left exposed. She met one of the coyotes' eyes as it prepared to jump.

A brown and white form slammed into the coyote from the side. Suddenly the little valley between the dunes was alive with the sound of cats and coyotes writing in battle. Dawnpaw couldn't do anything but shrink into herself and avoid the blows. She couldn't move, she could hardly breathe. The mess of coats confused her eyes and the vulture-meat clouded her sense of smell.

A paw nudged her shoulder. Dawnpaw sprang up with unsheathed claws, eyes wild. Thistlepaw pulled back. "It's okay, they're gone," he whispered gently. Dawnpaw felt her heart slow down slightly.

"Dawnpaw!" Lizardclaw was looming suddenly over the two apprentices. Dawnpaw shrank back into herself, unable to face the anger she could see in her father's expression. "What do you think you were doing out here? Didn't your last encounter with these things teach you anything? Since you've been an apprentice, all you've done is cause trouble. I thought I taught you better than that!"

"I—I'm sorry, father…"

Lizardclaw had already turned away. "Everyone get back to camp," he growled, and paced off through the sands. Dawnpaw got to her feet miserably.

Stormslash brushed gently against her side. "We've been searching for you two all day. I'm sure he was just worried," he murmured, his blue eyes bright amidst the oppressive gloom. Dawnpaw mustered a small smile.

"Maybe," she agreed. Her eyes flicked to her father's tight form as he led the patrol back home.

The whole camp was assembled when they walked into the rocky hollow. Worried or angry eyes gleamed in the half light from every direction. Dawnpaw was glad to have Stormslash's warm bulk at her side, especially when Hawkstar stepped forward from the crowd.

"Dawnpaw, Thistlepaw," he said, his voice deep and deadly serious. "I'm not going to ask where you've been. It doesn't matter. No matter where you spent your day, the fact remains that you both shirked your duties and endangered your Clanmates by putting yourselves in danger. Look at their injuries, you two. That's what you're responsible for."

For the first time, Dawnpaw saw the scratches and bites covering the patrol. Her eyes flashed to Stormslash and the bloody gash on his shoulder. He gave her a shrug and a smile, as if it were no big deal—but it was. Dawnpaw's ears flattened against her head in shame.

"Since we can't trust you two to stay in camp and train as you're supposed to, I'm forbidding either of you two to leave the camp without your mentor's supervision. Be thankful I'm not doing more." Hawkstar turned and padded into his rocky cave den. The rest of the crowd took that as their signal to disperse as well, leaving Dawnpaw and Thistlepaw alone in the clearing.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Thistlepaw turned his amber eyes on her.

"I'm sorry too," he said. A smile flashed onto his face. "Sorry we got caught."

"What?"

"Today was the best day I've ever had, aside from the coyote thing. They'll get over it and things will get back to normal soon enough." The normally serious tom nudged her and then trotted to the apprentice den, probably hoping to get some sleep before Batclaw came to take him away for training. Dawnpaw felt her spirits lift.

A different pair of amber eyes blinked from the shadows out of a creamy pale smudge. All Dawnpaw could see was disappointment. It only took a moment for Amberslash to fade back away into the shadows, and then she was gone. Dawnpaw plodded into the apprentice den and curled up in her nest.

Light was already slanting into the cave when she awoke. Thistlepaw and Falconpaw were already gone, but Dawnpaw could make out the matching creamy pelts of Sparkpaw and Brightpaw curled together on the other side of the sandy den. She blinked around blearily as she heard rocks skitter at the entrance of the den.

"Come on you three, wake up!"

Sparkpaw groaned and gurgled. "Five more minutes, Redwing," he mumbled, then flipped over and resumed snoring. The russet warrior slunk into the den, reaching out to awkwardly shove her apprentice.

"Come on, stop being lazy, Sparkpaw, we need to go train." It was clear she was trying to be firm, but she was falling short of moving the young tom. Brightpaw finally stirred.

"Oh hi, Redwing," she mumbled. "What brings you here?"

The poor warrior's ears flattened. "We're all going to train together with Amberslash and Lizardclaw today," she said. That at least got the apprentices' attention.

"Well why didn't you say so?" Sparkpaw meowed, and popped out of his nest and out of the den. Redwing immediately turned tail and streaked after him, ears still pressed back against her head.

"Sometimes I feel bad for her," Brightpaw mewed. Dawnpaw nodded. She knew exactly what Brightpaw meant.

The sunlight played gently on their fur as they emerged from the den. The breeze whipping across the sand reminded Dawnpaw of the previous day's adventure. The thought brought a grin to her face. As if she could read the younger apprentice's thoughts, Brightpaw looked over and smiled slyly.

"You're not the only one to have had an adventure, you know."

Dawnpaw laughed. "Oh yeah?"

"Oh, StarClan yes. Have you heard about the time Sparkpaw got stuck in a crack on the mud flats? It took us half a day just to get the furball's head out, and that wasn't even the worst part…"

~oOo~

Redwing and Sparkpaw's trail brought the two creamy apprentices to a part of the territory Dawnpaw had never seen before. It still rankled that after nearly a moon of apprenticeship, Dawnpaw had hardly any training to speak of. Brightpaw trotted confidently into a rocky bowl scooped out of the cracked ground, leaving the younger apprentice to follow. Their mentors were already there.

Dawnpaw felt guilty… but mainly it was because she didn't really feel guilty. Amberslash and Lizardclaw could rake their eyes over her all they wanted, but she agreed with Thistlepaw—the previous day had been one of the best days she'd ever had. She was only sorry she'd gotten caught. That didn't stop her from putting on a contrite expression as she skittered down the side of the bowl, of course, but it did make her feel better.

"Nice of you to join us. We thought you'd wandered off again," Lizardclaw growled, leveling a glare at his kit. Dawnpaw's ears flattened. She deserved that, but the scathing tone still hurt. _I'm still not sorry_, she thought defiantly at him. Her green eyes flicked to her mentor.

"Since you're so determined to get yourself into trouble, we thought it would be a good idea to teach you some fighting basics," Amberslash explained coolly.

"It's about time," Dawnpaw muttered. Lizardclaw whirled around.

"What did you say?" he growled.

A cheerily false smile spread across Dawnpaw's face. "Nothing, father," she chirped. Amberslash grabbed her ear in her teeth and roughly dragged her away.

"Ow, get off me!"

"Have some respect, Dawnpaw," Amberslash hissed. "You're embarrassing yourself and you're embarrassing me." Dawnpaw wrenched her ear loose with a hiss of pain.

"Sorry, sorry," she muttered. "I'll do better. Now can we train?"

Amberslash's eyes were blazing like the sun, but she dipped her head. "We cats are usually smaller than our opponents, so slashing and battering at eye level will be useless against, say, a coyote. That's what I'm going to teach you anyway, so at least you'll be able to spar."

The moves were laughably easy, nothing that Dawnpaw couldn't have figured out in her sleep. Without claws, they amounted to nothing more than rapid slaps and jabs. Dawnpaw had no doubt they'd be useful in a fight, but there was no way she'd win a battle using these dinky tricks.

"Got anything else?" she asked Amberslash. She glanced over at Sparkpaw and Redwing, who were sparring already. Sparkpaw charged at his mentor, but instead of jumping out of the way, Redwing stepped to the side and deftly rammed her shoulder into him as he breezed past, sending him skidding face first into the sand. Dawnpaw flicked a tail. "Like that?"

Amberslash glanced at the other pair and flicked her eyes back to her own apprentice. "You want to try that, do you?" Dawnpaw nodded, grinning. Amberslash charged without warning, sending up sprays of sand. She covered ground more quickly than Dawnpaw expected, making her sidestep clumsy. She had to make a split-second readjust, lowering her shoulder into Amberslash's leg rather than her shoulder. A laugh leaped to her throat as Amberslash went tumbling.

The golden warrior climbed to her paws, irritation flashing in her eyes. "Good job, Dawnpaw."

"Are you guys ready to spar yet?" Sparkpaw shouted. He had sand clumped all over his fur, but his tail was still twitching with energy. Brightpaw rolled her eyes and tucked her tail around her paws, looking to Lizardclaw.

"Dawnpaw will spar whether she's ready or not," he growled.

"I hope you're ready to improvise," Amberslash murmured, still looking annoyed. Dawnpaw just grinned. She felt confident. Fighting seemed to come much more naturally to her than hunting did.

Sparkpaw leaped to his feet. "Alright new meat, let's see what you've got." Dawnpaw just grinned.

He stalked forward, his tail twitching like hers sometimes did before a kill. Now that the pressure was on, Dawnpaw could feel the desert sun beating on her back, sending prickles through her fur. It reflected off the burning sand, blurring Sparkpaw's ginger outline. She didn't want to make the first move, however, so she edged away to the side, keeping her eyes on his.

She saw his eyes narrow and she tensed for his strike, satisfaction rushing through her as she recognized his predictable charge. She sidestepped easily, but instead of slamming into his shoulder as she'd seen earlier, she suddenly changed her mind. Her hind legs bunched and she leaped onto his back, tangling his claws in the longer fur around his neck. He immediately rolled, giving Dawnpaw only a moment to try and leap away. The breath rushed out of her as the heavier apprentice slammed down. His bright eyes appeared in front of hers. "Give up yet?" he asked, nearly nose to nose with her.

Dawnpaw narrowed her eyes and grinned. "Not quite," she sang, and with a mighty heave flung him off with her hind paws. He landed with an 'oof' a mouselength away and Dawnpaw leaped atop of him, battering at him with her paws—just like Amberslash taught her. Sparkpaw began to laugh.

"I give, I give!" he yelped, chuckling. Dawnpaw danced away, a grin as big as the sun enveloping her face. Sparkpaw hopped to his feet and shook out his fur, sending sand everywhere. "Not bad, freshkill," he called.

Amberslash had a coolly appraising look on her face. "I agree, Dawnpaw. Perhaps next time you get yourself into trouble, you'll be able to get yourself _out_ of it too."

"That's the idea," Dawnpaw shot back. She sat next to her mentor for the rest of the session, watching the older apprentices spar and savoring the taste of triumph. It definitely felt good to know she excelled. Now the setback from her rapidly healing injury didn't seem so immense.

This new confidence was a good feeling.

* * *

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	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Rainpaw was roused from a restless sleep by a sharp nudge. He blinked rapidly into a pair of gleaming yellow eyes.

"Can I help you?" he asked, more surprised than irritated. The black and gray streaked pelt resolved itself into Crowtalon. He'd never had cause to even speak to the warrior, let alone be nose to nose with the tom. Crowtalon shot Rainpaw a cool look.

"Blackflash put you on the dawn patrol, so you'd better get up before you make us late." His whip thin tail skimmed Rainpaw's nose as Crowtalon spun around and trotted off to the base of the knoll. Rainpaw followed groggily, still blinking sleep from his eyes. The harsh wind from the previous night was still blowing, reaching chilly fingers even into Rainpaw's thick fur. The landscape of rippling grass looked a uniform dull gray. The sky did as well, growing more and more ominous with each gust of wind.

The patrol was gathered in a tight knot at the bottom of the knoll. Yellowpelt, Saltfeather, and Wavestorm all looked relieved when Crowtalon and Rainpaw joined them. Yellowpelt flicked her tail at the group. "Alright, let's move," she called, and set off at a brisk trot through the thrashing grass. The wind was picking up even further, dragging thick clouds across the already gray sky. Rainpaw lengthened his stride to pull abreast of Crowtalon.

"So where's Tigerfrost?" he meowed. Crowtalon glanced at the apprentice with vague distaste.

"How should I know where he is? Probably off doing secretive things with Froststar," he grumbled.

"So why did I come then?"

"Because Blackflash said you should."

"And why are there no GrassClan with us?"

Crowtalon started running faster. Rainpaw kept pace. He kept wide blue eyes fixed on Crowtalon until the older warrior growled. "Are all apprentices this annoying?"

"I doubt it."

Crowtalon growled again and pushed forward to the front of the patrol. Rainpaw let him go this time. The wind was starting to slice through the group, sending cold into their bones despite the running. Rainpaw alone was suited to the sharp blustering wind with his thick fur, but the others were clearly shivering.

Yellowpelt slowed suddenly, sniffing at the ground. "This is where the border ends," she declared. Rainpaw didn't see anything special about the site, just more grass stretching on to the horizon. Sure enough, though, the loamy scent of the GrassClan markings filled his nose. Crowtalon began marking the area.

"There's got to be a storm coming," Yellowpelt muttered, her strange brown eyes crinkling in a frown. They were a flat glassy dun, like dried mud, but obviously held a sharp intelligence. The brown gaze flicked up and down the horizon, watchful for the smallest of threats. The thick-set she-cat flicked her ears when Crowtalon was done, leading them west. _Towards the desert_, Rainpaw recalled. He couldn't imagine pushing into such a barren waste. The heat, the emptiness… how would OneClan find water? Or prey? He had no doubt that the army could defeat any feeble little Clan inhabiting the desert, but he harbored doubts as to how OneClan would defeat their own hunger.

A sudden shift in the wind blasted frigid air into the patrol's faces. Saltfeather stopped suddenly. "Do you smell that?" he hissed.

Yellowpelt lifted her flattened face into the wind and took a deep breath. "Rogues," she replied. Her voice held a hint of a growl.

"And fresh blood," Wavestorm agreed.

"Come on, let's go drive them off," Yellowpelt growled. They set off in a run, the wind pushing the dirty smell of the rogues directly into the patrol's faces. Rainpaw's blood was on fire again, tingling with the adrenaline he had felt in that first battle for GrassClan. The scent was close, and getting closer with each step. The patrol pushed through the wildly whipping grass just as the first sprinkles of rain misted to the ground.

_There!_ At the bottom of a small dip in the ground, Rainpaw could make out four dark pelts gorging on what were obviously rabbits. Anger lit in his belly. Those were _OneClan's _rabbits! What right did the rogues have to steal prey from their territory?

"You, rogues!" Yellowpelt yowled. The four cats in the bowl looked up with glowing eyes. The mist obscured everything, casting their features into shadow. Those eyes though… they cut right through the rain. "You have no right to that prey!"

A tom with eerie, mismatched eyes rose to his feet, showing sharply gleaming fangs. "And?" he asked. His deep voice held a condescending challenge. Yellowpelt snarled.

"Get them!"

The patrol leaped to the attack, barreling down the hill to where the rogues stood waiting. The mist made it difficult to see, but none were concerned—the OneClan cats had the numbers on their side. The wind kept rising, howling through the grass, however, and soon Rainpaw found his sight, smell, and hearing impaired by the gale that was springing to life around them. He was almost surprised to come face to face with a rogue. His dodge was mistimed and earned him a nasty set of scratches across his rump. He slammed into the tom's side but the cat was massive, nearly as large as Tigerfrost. The blow did nothing but distract him from Crowtalon's slash at his muzzle, though at least that sent the tom stumbling back. Rainpaw quickly realized that all of the rogues were built of solid lean muscle, nurtured by regular meals. How they had escaped leafbare's harshness unscathed eluded the apprentice, but it didn't matter. Their opponents were skilled, ferocious, and powerful.

Before Rainpaw could leap to find another opponent he heard a bone-wrenching yowl that seemed to split the mist. A sudden rushing sound assaulted his ears and suddenly curtains of drenching rain pelted the cats. Rainpaw was soaked to the skin in seconds. He heard cruel laughter and another yowl.

"Get the rabbits and let's get out of here," came the first rogue's voice, the one with the mismatched eyes. Ugly laughter rang out from the other three, and suddenly the melee was over and the rabbits were gone. Rainpaw stumbled through the torrent in search of the others in the patrol.

Saltfeather's voice rang out suddenly. "Is everyone alright?" The tom's salt and pepper shadow appeared in the rain. Rainpaw staggered over to him, relieved to have found someone.

"I'm fine," he mewed. The scratches stung, but they weren't bad.

"So am I," Wavestorm chimed in, solidifying out of the thundering rainy gloom.

Crowtalon's growl thundered through the downpour.

"Yellowpelt's not."

~O~

The patrol was slipping and sliding through mud on the way back to the knoll. Wavestorm and Crowtalon were struggling with Yellowpelt's dead weight while Saltfeather scouted ahead. Rainpaw's every sense was on alert, now. The rain still gusted down in sheets from the slate gray clouds. With every squelching step, Rainpaw cursed himself for an idiot.

They had outnumbered the rogues, and yet the rogues had gotten away with hardly a scratch. His inability to act during a simple downpour had cost… well, he didn't want to think about that. Even now, foxlengths ahead of the group, he could hear Yellowpelt's pained moans. Hopefully Moonstream would have the right herbs to heal her wound, whatever it was. He hadn't seen much, but even through the blurring torrent he could tell it was bad.

How had the rogues been so skilled, anyway? The warriors of the OneClan army were supposed to be the best, and yet they had been shamed by the effortless brutality the rogues fought with. Rainpaw had taken their scarred pelts as signs of many battles lost. It had never occurred to him that the scars might be from battles won.

"And if that's what the winners look like, I'd hate to see the other guys," he muttered.

A growl cut through the darkness and the rain. "What are you muttering about, apprentice?" Saltfeather's white patches shone ghostly in the dim light. Rainpaw flicked a sodden tail.

"Nothing. Is the camp far?"

The pelting rain made it difficult to see the shake of Saltfeather's head. "It's close enough. How is she?"

Water filled Rainpaw's eyes as he glanced up towards StarClan. "Doesn't sound good."

Saltfeather was off in moments, leaving the blue gray apprentice to trudge a path through the rain. It took a few minutes of eternity nearly swimming through the sodden grass before he tripped and fell on his face. _The knoll!_ he thought with relief. A glance behind him showed a clump of shadows struggling closer. Sure enough, the ring of brambles waited only foxlengths up the slope. It took energy that Rainpaw wasn't sure he had to bound up the rivulets that streamed down the hill and wriggle into the camp.

His first instinct was to look for white. Froststar, Swanblossom, Moonstream, it didn't matter. Their fur would shimmer even in this deadening downpour. Instead, a giant tabby shadow reared up above him. His heart raced and his sodden fur ruffled before he recognized his mentor.

"Tigerfrost! You've got to help, Yellowpelt is hurt badly. The patrol is just coming up the knoll now," he panted. The cool yellow eyes blinked once and then vanished, leaving Rainpaw to huddle alone in the rain. Tigerfrost's sneer loomed in his mind. _Don't be useless, little kit._

Moonstream. Someone needed to get Moonstream.

The rabbit dens seemed even more unnatural now, with rain streaming into their mouths. How easy it would be to drown in there, in those twisting burrows. In the churning mud and pouring rain it became difficult to distinguish the different holes. Rainpaw nearly tripped into two different dens before he forced himself to breathe and think. The hole was just past a bowl shaped rock… there! He dove into the den, feeling his heart begin to race. Water streamed past his paws faster than he could move. Mud slicked his belly before he finally emerged into the surprisingly roomy burrow. The darkness pressed on him the same way the rushing of the rain pressed on his ears.

"Moonstream!" he called. He ignored the squeak in his voice. "Moonstream, come quick!" The sharp smell of herbs was quickly being drowned. The damp sod swallowed his breathless pants. "Moonstream!" He couldn't stand it, couldn't stand it. He turned tail and ran up, up out of the burrow. He didn't even notice his claws digging into the mud.

The shock of the freezing rain slamming into his back once again brought him back. He felt like he was going to shake apart, between the cold and the panic.

"Rainpaw."

The apprentice leaped away from the noise. His blue eyes roved the icy semidarkness. A white pelt glowed faintly. Green eyes blinked.

"Moonstream?"

A brief nod.

"Thank StarClan," Rainpaw breathed. "Yellowpelt is hurt."

A frown. "Is that all?" she asked. Rainpaw just shook his head.

"Just…go see."

The green eyes narrowed and vanished into the gloom. Rainpaw slumped into himself. Nothing bad had happened, nothing very far out of the usual for an army bent on conquering the Clans, but he felt drained and afraid. He was vaguely aware of a crowd gathering on the slope of the knoll, but it didn't mean much to him.

The smell of sod in his face made Rainpaw spring away. He could feel his heart resume its frantic pounding.

"Calm down, little kit, it's just me." Heatherclaw's eyes gleamed just like the rogues' in the half light of the downpour.

"I'm no kit," Rainpaw growled, feeling anger surge in his belly. Heatherclaw shrugged.

"What's going on?" she asked. Rainpaw unconsciously began following the GrassClan—no, OneClan—warrior towards the knot of cats gathered around Yellowpelt. Rainpaw grimaced.

"We were attacked, and Yellowpelt… well, you'll see."

Rainpaw was forced to shoulder his way through the crowd to get to a spot where he could see. He was glad for the rain now. Hopefully the warriors wouldn't take offense. Heatherclaw's fur brushed against his as he craned his head to get a better look.

Moonstream was crouched beside Yellowpelt. The stocky warrior was lying limp on the ground and for the first time Rainpaw allowed himself a glance at the wound in the warrior's belly. It was bad. The four parallel scratches were bleeding so violently that even the pouring rain couldn't wash it away quick enough to keep the wound clean, and Rainpaw could see something else glistening in there, pink and squishy and wrinkled. Moonstream poked gently at it with a claw, lifting exposed flaps of skin to peer into Yellowpelt's belly.

"Well? Will she live?" The deep voice cut through the rain. Froststar's icy eyes swept over his daughter and the prostrate warrior. Moonstream's green eyes flicked up at him.

"She's lucky. They didn't even nick her insides."

Saltfeather stepped forward anxiously. "What does that mean? Will she be okay?"

Moonstream shrugged and pressed a paw against the worst scratch to slow the bleeding. "I don't know. A scratch on the insides and a cat is as good as dead, but her wounds are still serious. She won't be able to move for a moon or more, and I can't guarantee the scratches won't become infected."

Froststar's voice seemed to freeze the rain. "Who is responsible for this?" he growled softly, almost too soft to hear over the pounding raindrops. His eyes lit on Heatherclaw.

"Traitor!" he yowled, and before anyone could react he had leaped onto the warrior. His bared fangs were whiskerlengths from her face. "I know you GrassClan traitors are behind this! You won't get away with taking my warrior's life," he screamed at the cream warrior.

"No, Father! She's not responsible!" Icy trickles of fear bit into him. He shouldered Froststar but the massive tom didn't move, so he shoved his face into Froststar's. Their matching blue eyes met for an instant before a massive paw shot out and batted him away, sent him rolling. All Rainpaw could think about was the scene on the knoll in the first battle. _Father's fangs flashing down…the fear on Rustlestar's face…blood spurting everywhere…_

"It was rogues! They were rogues!" he yelled.

"How can you know? Where were the traitor's guards? No, she dies! It's the only way for them to pay!"

"She's innocent!"

Froststar roared into the air and his paw flashed up. A bolt of lightning threw it into sharp relief, a shard of ice ready to bite into warm flesh. Rainpaw yelled and Heatherclaw's yowl cut through the rain.

Froststar shoved his face into Rainpaw's. "Decide whose side you're on, kit. Your _Clan's_, or a traitor's. There is _no_ in between."

Quick as a flash, the leader was gone into the gloom. The Clan dispersed and Moonstream hunched over Yellowpelt, shoving cobwebs against the gaping wounds in her belly.

Heatherclaw was the last to get up. The four scratches ran deep, almost to bone, weeping tears of blood down her cheek. Her yellow eyes were flat.

Soon it was just Rainpaw standing atop the knoll, a frozen gray sentinel in a slate gray world.

* * *

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	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"StarClan, you've got to be kidding me!" This was the third snake she'd let slither out of her paws in the same day. Dawnpaw was hot, thirsty, irritated, and angry. She slapped the sand with a creamy paw. The glittering arc of gold tumbled away like those _stupid _snakes.

"Is this a _game_ to you, Dawnpaw? You do realize the Clan needs _food_ to survive, right?"

Dawnpaw twisted around to glare at Amberslash. The golden warrior advanced with narrowed amber eyes. Their faces were whiskers apart. "It's not like I know what I'm doing _wrong,_ Amberslash," Dawnpaw hissed.

Amberslash barked out a laugh. "You're so _impatient_, Dawnpaw! It's like you think the snake will just slither into your paws! How exactly is charging up a dune supposed to help you sneak up on the creatures?"

"I managed it before!"

"And you'd think it was a fluke, from how you've been hunting ever since!"

Dawnpaw huffed and stalked away. "Did you think this was going to be easy, Dawnpaw? It takes a lot of hard work to become a warrior. Did you think you were going to breeze through it, no problem?"

"No, but it shouldn't be _this_ hard," she muttered.

"Just go back to camp, Dawnpaw. Someone around here needs to go catch some food for the Clan."

Dawnpaw grimaced and kept walking away. The order was, quite honestly, a relief. Amberslash had been running Dawnpaw to the bone lately, trying to make up for lost time. From the moment the sun rose every day to the moment it set, Dawnpaw was on her feet sparring, patrolling, or hunting. The times Amberslash had her cleaning dens for the queens or elders were a blessing—at least then, her heart was beating at a normal pace and her limbs weren't shaking from the prolonged exercise in the hot sun.

But hunting… _that_ they had been doing more than anything else. It had quickly become clear that, as good as Dawnpaw's fighting instincts were, her hunting ones were almost nonexistent. Her first kill was, up to this point, her only one. Every single day, Dawnpaw had to deal with Amberslash's disappointment and growing irritation as kill after kill slipped through her paws.

"Blah, blah, you're too impatient, blah," she muttered under her breath. Maybe this was still punishment for all of her shenanigans with the beach and the coyotes. But a little voice kept popping up in her head reminding her that _all warriors need to hunt, fuzzbrain_. It was just frustrating! She'd been able to pick up fighting so quickly—it was easy to tell what a _cat_ was going to do! With a snake or a lizard, she had no idea what they would or wouldn't feel through the sand. Running was fast, right? So if she were running, she should be able to take them down. Or at least, one might think so, but apparently that wasn't the case.

It was hard to return to camp every day with empty jaws. The embarrassment was the least of it. How could she ever be a warrior if she couldn't feed her Clanmates? She would be as useless as an elder—but at least _they_ could say that they'd contributed moons of prey to the freshkill pile. Her best skill, her fighting, the Clan had no use for. The desert and blinding heat had always protected DesertClan enough to make fighting a secondary skill at best.

"Whatever," she muttered. The stone hollow reared up from the sand and she couldn't wait to get back and maybe plop down into a cool den.

She pulled up suddenly, her eyes scrunched closed in a grimace. "Oh, StarClan, I'm a horrible daughter!" She wanted to hit herself. There was no excuse for ignoring her mother as she had been, absolutely none. _Oh, she's probably so mad about the coyote thing,_ she thought guiltily. All Dawnpaw wanted to do was collapse, but she forced her paws into a trot over to the warriors den.

"Hello?" she called softly. The only pelts she could see were the stark blacks of Shadewhisper, Emberpelt, Pebblefoot, and Blackfoot. Dawnpaw shook her head, wondering why she'd bothered—her mother would never be in the den at this time. The dark cats usually slept the day away, waiting for nighttime when their pelts would blend into the shadows.

Dawnpaw hummed to herself, back in the sunlight. Where next? Perhaps the nursery, checking up on the queens and their kits. The milky scent was tangible even from where she stood, and the apprentice walked over to the dark mouth of the cave with a smile on her face. She had so many good memories from there.

Dustcloud and Smokewhisper were both in their nests, watching the three kits tumble around on the sandy floor of the cave. Harekit was easily the biggest and the toughest, tossing his sister Lightkit around with ease. Nightkit joined the fight only when the other two rolled too close, giving them a couple smacks on the head before retreating with a frown on her little face.

"Hi, Dawnpaw," Smokewhisper called. The young queen had her paws full with her two kits, but she somehow managed to be cheerful to anyone who came calling. Dawnpaw dodged the two siblings as they made a particularly spirited somersault towards her paws.

"Do you know where Larksong is?"

Smokewhisper shook her head. "Sorry, darling."

Dawnpaw frowned and shrugged. "Alright, well, thanks anyway." She jumped in surprise at the pair of yellow eyes suddenly blinking up at her.

"Um, can I help you?"

Nightkit showed little white fangs in a smile. "Wanna play?"

Dawnpaw couldn't think of a nice way to say 'StarClan no!'. Kits freaked her out—there was _way _too much responsibility if one got hurt on her watch, and plus they were boring.

"Nightkit, she's busy, leave the poor apprentice alone," Dustcloud called. Nightkit huffed and stomped away, muttering "alright, momma," as she went. Dawnpaw shot the queen a grateful glance and escaped the den as quick as she could.

The hollow was blazing hot now, the sun at its highest point in the sky. Dawnpaw felt the heat beating into her pelt from every side. She sighed, about ready to give up the search.

"You okay, Dawnpaw?"

The creamy apprentice turned towards the timid voice and sighed again. "Hi, Redwing. I'm fine, why do you ask?"

The russet warrior's fur was fluffed up nervously. "You just seemed kind of mad."

"Oh. Well I've been looking for Larksong, but I can't find her…" Her eyes narrowed. "Redwing, is something wrong?" There was no mistaking the dismay on the shy warrior's face.

"Oh, no, nothing…"

"Redwing, where's my mother?" Fear was coiling in the pit of Dawnpaw's belly. Redwing's head dipped and her yellow eyes peered up nervously.

"In the medicine den. Dawnpaw, I'm so sorry," she said, but Dawnpaw didn't hear anything past 'medicine den'. She was a creamy blur streaking across the hollow, moving as fast as her paws would carry her. The shock of cool air registered against her face as she barreled down into the medicine den.

"Where's my mother?" she panted anxiously. Her eyes latched onto the creamy pelt that matched hers perfectly and she gasped. _Calm down, Dawnpaw, it might be nothing serious,_ she told herself, but Larksong did not look good. She buried her nose in her mother's neck fur.

"Larksong, wake up," she whispered. The smell of sickness was heavy in her nose. She couldn't stand the heat that was radiating from her mother's body. When she pulled away, though, it was worse. Her mother's coat was falling away in little patches. She looked thin and tired and sick, and she saw a dribble of what was unmistakably vomit on the sand near her head.

Dawnpaw carefully curled up against her mother and gave her a single lick. The rasping of Larksong's breathing filled the cave as Dawnpaw kept a silent, fearful vigil.

~O~

Frustration seemed to be going around the camp. First Amberslash came back from hunting with nothing but a tiny lizard that she threw on the pile, and then Lizardclaw came barreling into camp covered in sand with an angry look in his eyes, and then Batclaw had been woken up just a little too early from her nap before the evening patrol. And all that wasn't even touching on the fact that Thistlepaw himself was more than a little angry.

The black apprentice's tail was lashing back and forth by the time the patrol set out in silence. Dawnpaw would be laughing and chattering right now, oblivious to the irritation of all the cats around them. No, not oblivious—she'd know, she just wouldn't care. That's how she lived her life, in a big bubble of excitement, and everyone else could either join in or leave.

Thistlepaw lashed his tail particularly hard. He needed to get his priorities _straight_. He needed her out of his head.

The border was as calm as ever, though, except for a disgusting rotten carcass the vultures had decided not to pick clean. The problem, as Thistlepaw saw it, was that even though his pelt was black where hers was cream, his eyes amber where hers were green, his disposition serious where hers was bubbly, everyone in the Clan saw them as littermates. Just because they'd been doing _everything_ together since they were kits didn't mean that they had the same mother. Just because his mother had died, and Larksong had taken him under her wing like he was her own…

And that was a problem. A big problem.

A dark scowl creased his face. It wasn't exactly like he could help his un-brotherly feelings for her.

And really, why not? She was funny, and pretty, and everyone thought she was just a goof and a troublemaker, but at least she was _exciting_.

"Thistlepaw, pay attention," Batclaw snapped, and that was the end of the daydreams.

The patrol got back to camp with nothing to report, as usual. Most of the time that made Thistlepaw feel good, but not lately. He had nothing to take away his constant agitation. As bad of an idea as it was, he wanted to seek out Dawnpaw. Hopefully she wasn't already asleep and they could find some mischief to get up to.

Thistlepaw quickly realized that the mood in the camp was strange. The same sharp agitation that he'd been feeling all day had been multiplied, had electrified all the cats that were milling around in the open. _They should all be in their dens_, he thought, a drop of worry tickling his throat. He could hear raised voices coming from the medicine den, of all places.

"…didn't think you should tell me?"

"It's not like there's been a chance!"

"You should have _made_ a chance! This is my mother!" Thistlepaw felt like a claw had pierced his heart. That was Dawnpaw and Lizardclaw in there…what was wrong with Larksong?

"This isn't something the whole Clan needed to know," came the low growl.

"My mother is _sick,_" Dawnpaw wailed. It was an eerie sound, echoing up the cave and trailing into a thin ribbon of noise.

Thistlepaw was torn. He loved Larksong like a mother, but he wasn't part of the family. Was it his place? More importantly, did Dawnpaw need him? The thin, dry sobs bounced quietly up the mouth of the cave and Lizardclaw came padding out, sweeping cold green eyes over the cats gathered in the hollow before retreating into the shadows.

Could he go in there? Should he?

Sandpelt emerged from the den, his usually genial demeanor darkened by tiredness and worry. He flicked his tail. "Go to sleep, everyone. Everything is under control."

Thistlepaw stood frozen before he felt his heart clench painfully and he turned away. _You coward_, he cursed himself as he wandered away into the darkness.

* * *

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	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Green eyes popped up in Rainpaw's vision for the second time on that horrible, horrible day, and Rainpaw had finally just had enough. He turned away with a growl, his eyes flitting to the tumbling clouds up above. At some point, the rain had blustered away and the sky had gradually lightened. Storms didn't seem to last long, here on these plains.

The owner of the eyes was persistent. She kept pace as Rainpaw trudged away. "What do you want, Swanblossom?" he asked gruffly.

"I want you to be smarter, idiot," she hissed. The apprentice's head snapped around, white fangs glinting in the half light.

"I don't need a lecture, Swanblossom, I'm doing fine without your _help_," he hissed back, condescension dripping like venom from his voice.

"Is that so? How do you explain that little scene with Froststar then?" Rainpaw's eyes dropped for just a moment, but that was all the weakness Swanblossom needed. "Rainpaw, she's not one of us, not yet, maybe not ever, and it's _dangerous_ for you to get involved. Just keep your head down until we get out of this place—the sooner you forget all of this, the better."

Rainpaw scowled and shoved past the white warrior. "I don't need you to mother me anymore, Swanblossom. I know what I'm doing."

"You're still young, Rainpaw, and there's a lot of evil in this world that you shouldn't have to encounter. Please, just be smart," Swanblossom called after him. He didn't dignify her with a response. The gray, waving stalks swallowed the dark apprentice as he stormed off onto the plains.

~O~

Swanblossom hated her job. As a soldier, life was fine. Running and fighting had always been a part of the job description, and she was good at that. But now, as in SeaClan, the job fell to her to guard the conquered cats. If only the job had been _boring_.

Every few days, Froststar and Tigerfrost would descend into the gaping maw of the nursery where the more resilient cats were being held, the leader with a sort of sad resignation in his eyes, the thug with a cheerful gleam of anticipation. The sod walls of the den padded most of the sounds, but every now and again she could hear a distant sound…a whimper, or a scream. Swanblossom never saw the products of their work, but she could guess. She could guess.

When she heard them talk about it, Froststar always muttered the word 'reconditioning'. Swanblossom saw the pain the process caused him. But Tigerfrost… that sadistic, evil cat looked forward to those secret times down in the den. That's where he had been when Rainpaw had come barreling up the hill, shouting for Moonstream. It was her lapse that had allowed Heatherclaw to slip up from the den and out into the open. And it was her lapse that had made it painfully clear how out of his depth her little brother truly was.

"Oh Rainpaw," Swanblossom muttered. Out of all the members of this campaign, he was the only one who seemed sheltered from the effects of the long march and the even longer conquest. The white warrior stared at the lean rabbit she'd snatched from the fresh kill pile with a frown. Maybe Froststar was deliberately insulating him from the harsh realities of the campaign. He certainly hadn't been coddling his other kits that way. It made Swanblossom's heart ache to think about how quickly her gentle sister had needed to harden her heart. No cat had seen more death on this trip, between those fatally injured in the battle and the kits that had fallen ill later from the cold and malnutrition. Moonstream was a different cat now, harder, and Swanblossom wondered how long it would be before her own heart turned to stone.

"Let all cats gather below the High Hill for a Clan Meeting!"

Swanblossom shoved the uneaten rabbit aside and trudged through the slowly drying muck to the top of the camp's hill. Her eyes flitted over the crowd, searching for one pelt in particular. _There!_ The dark gray pelt and burning blue eyes brought a sigh of relief to Swanblossom's lips. He could stay angry with her if he liked, but Swanblossom knew she'd do anything to protect the little furball.

Rainpaw's blue eyes were fixed on Froststar though, and Swanblossom quickly turned her own green ones on the leader. The wind ruffled through his thick fur, tossing it majestically, and his cold blue eyes swept the cats gathered below him. Swanblossom could sense his anger and suspicion, though to the others it would be perfectly masked—the intuition was a perk of being his daughter, she supposed.

Froststar lifted his chin. "As you all know, a patrol was attacked yesterday morning by a group of rogues," he began, fixing a stern look on the reformed GrassClan present. They seemed to shrink into themselves fearfully. "We have almost no information about this group, and we do not know who might be aiding them. I have decided to send a patrol to track these barbaric cats back to their hiding places and deliver a message to the cowards. We must show them the _true_ _strength_ of OneClan!"

A cheer went up from the OneClan warriors. A smile curved Froststar's lips. "I know we will show them just what it means to be beaten by the true army of the _Clans_!" This time a roar ripped from the throats of the cats present. Swanblossom couldn't help but join in, and neither, it seemed, could the new additions to the OneClan army.

"There is one more ceremony to perform," Froststar said, once the cheers had quieted. "We have several apprentices of the former GrassClan who are in need of new mentors to help them assimilate into OneClan life. I am proud to offer them new mentors to help and guide them through this change."

The actual ceremony was unimportant to Swanblossom, but her sharp eyes never strayed from the new recruits. Bemused wonderment coursed through her as she saw that the former GrassClan were not just resigned to the ceremony, but _happy_ for it. It seemed that not everyone was as committed to the memory of GrassClan as the late Rustlestar had hoped.

Still, the memory of those last few resilient ones confined in the nursery made Swanblossom frown and turn away from the ceremony.

A wall of tabby fur made her stop abruptly. Leering yellow eyes peered down. "Going somewhere?" he asked, his voice a thrumming growl. Swanblossom's heart began to beat fast against her will.

"Back to my post, it's about time for me to relieve Fernshadow," she said. Her hatred warred with her fear of the massive tom. She couldn't match his stare, lest her eyes give her thoughts away.

Tigerfrost shrugged his shoulders. Poorly concealed amusement colored his deep voice as he meowed, "It would be better if you stayed."

Swanblossom's green eyes followed the tabby giant as he padded to Froststar's side. The meeting had ended without Swanblossom even noticing and she quickly scrambled to the small crowd assembling in front of the leader.

"This is important," Froststar was saying, his eyes transfixing them with an almost mad stare. "I will not allow this humiliation to stand. Go, find these rogues, and give them no mercy. Tigerfrost will lead the patrol." The massive tabby grinned and dipped his head. "Nightclaw, Crowthorn, Swanblossom, and Rainpaw will go with him."

Ice filled Swanblossom's heart. Her sweet, sheltered little brother? He was too young, too inexperienced, and a creeping fear slipped into Swanblossom's veins that there would be death on this mission.

"Froststar," Rainpaw growled, and Swanblossom just wanted the stupid apprentice to shut up for once. His blue eyes were burning where his father's were cold. The same eyes, and yet completely different. "Shouldn't a new recruit accompany the mission? One familiar with the territory?"

Rainpaw looked so small, face to face with Froststar. For the second time in as many days, tension crackled between them as Froststar dared his son to be defiant. Rainpaw never backed down, even as the leader's resonant voice cracked between them. "I take it you have a suggestion," Froststar growled.

"Heatherclaw."

Tigerfrost gave a low chuckle. The leader lifted a lip to show a single gleaming fang. "That _traitor_?"

Rainpaw's gaze remained fixed. "Give her a chance. She'll prove as loyal as anyone here, I promise."

Froststar suddenly grinned and straightened. The suffocating charisma left the air and he flicked his tail. "Very well, son, but it will be on your head when she turns on you." To the rest of the patrol, he nodded. "Leave at once, there's no time to waste."

The cats dipped their heads as one and the white leader made his exit. Swanblossom felt her heart slow its frantic pace.

"Still planning to lecture me?" Rainpaw's defiant voice rang in her ears.

Swanblossom fixed him with a sad gaze. "I just hope you're sure about all of this, for your sake."

~O~

It fell to Rainpaw to go retrieve Heatherclaw from the nursery for the mission. Relief made his muscles shaky—the thought of leaving her here when Froststar had obviously grown so hostile toward her had been unbearable. The darkness that closed around him as he plunged into the den felt suffocating, but he pushed forward until he emerged into the bulbous cave hollowed out of the hill. Light streamed down from a hole in the ceiling.

"Heatherclaw," Rainpaw called. Her lithe form detached from a huddle of other GrassClan cats.

"Yes?" she asked shortly. Rainpaw winced. He couldn't help but trace the four deep gashes on her face with his eyes. She looked like she was in pain.

"We're going on a mission to find those rogues, a small group of us."

A smirk lifted her face. "And you came to say goodbye?"

"You're coming with us. Froststar's orders." Rainpaw flicked his tail and quickly turned to scrabble his way back up the tunnel. He couldn't help the way his heart sped up each time his whiskers brushed against the close walls, though he cursed himself for a coward. His lungs sucked gratefully at the fresh air when he emerged. He'd be happier _anywhere_ but in one of those tight little spaces.

Heatherclaw was at his side. Rainpaw nodded and took off to join the patrol. Everyone was ready for the journey, eager and excited to exact vengeance against the rogues that had humiliated them and nearly taken one of their best warriors from them. Swanblossom alone seemed immune to the spirit. She fixed Rainpaw with another sad look.

"Alright, let's move. The sooner we pick up their trail, the better," Tigerfrost commanded. Cheerful goodbyes, from OneClan army and new recruit alike, followed behind them as they took off into the tall grasses again.

They ran to the edge of the territory and retraced the steps of the patrol. Crowthorn took the lead, his nose to the ground and his amber eyes burning with the previous day's memory.

"This is the place," Crowthorn said finally. Rainpaw shivered, staring down once again at the little bowl. Rabbit bones still littered the place. The patrol descended, and Rainpaw could still smell the tang of blood lingering on the air. The rain hadn't been able to completely erase the stains that had soaked into the sod.

"Did the rogues run that way?" Heatherclaw asked. Her tail flicked north. Crowthorn nodded. Rainpaw watched the warrior's face settle into a deep scowl.

"What is it?" he asked. Her sharp eyes flicked to his.

"There's a Twolegplace not many days away in that direction," she explained to the whole group. "They usually don't bother us, but rogues from there have come to trouble us in the past."

Tigerfrost nodded. "Now _this_ is why you're here," he said. He shot a drawling, condescending look at his apprentice. He flicked his tail at the cream warrior lazily. "Lead on, Heatherclaw." They pushed on past sunset. There was no time to waste.

~O~

Darkness gathered around Rainpaw like a shroud, soaking cold into his skin. No matter where he looked, there was no light to be found, and ice trickled through his veins. A pair of glowing eyes appeared out of the darkness.

"Who's there?" he called. The darkness put a tremor into his voice. Where were the others? Had they abandoned him? The only response he got was a dark chuckle.

"Show yourself!" he shouted.

A body slammed into him from the side, sending him tumbling through the darkness. Rainpaw gasped and scrabbled to his feet in time for another lean body to send him rolling with another blow. His claws were out and his lungs were working double time. The next whoosh of running paws gave him a warning and he lashed out, feeling his claws sink into thick fur. The cat careened off through darkness. A pair of mismatched eyes resolved out of the darkness and yellow fangs glinted with their own light.

"Had enough, kitten?" he asked. A lightning quick paw darted to smash him to the ground. Claws ripped excruciatingly down his side.

"Never," he gasped. The mismatched eyes crinkled in a smile and a line of fire ripped down Rainpaw's stomach. And again. And again.

A whimper rang from the darkness. "I still got a hit in," Rainpaw gasped, trying to fight the pain. The tom nudged Rainpaw's head and leaned close.

"Open your eyes, kitten," he breathed, and light shone down to illuminate a creamy she cat with four deep gashes weeping blood down her cheek.

Rainpaw howled.

"_Open your eyes!_"

Swanblossom's face, pale as the moon, swam in Rainpaw's vision. It was still dark, but the stars were burning bright up above, and he wasn't alone. He could hear the faint sounds of other cats sleeping. Rainpaw buried his face in Swanblossom's shoulder. His quiet shudders never even broke over the sound of the rustling grass.

"It was just a dream," Swanblossom crooned quietly. Rainpaw pulled away from his half-sibling and hunched in his own nest. Her green eyes were dark. Beyond her, Rainpaw could make out a pair of slitted yellow eyes peering at them through the gloom.

Swanblossom settled back into her own nest and soon drifted off. Rainpaw tried the same, but he couldn't stop the white she-cat's words from repeating in his mind. _I hope you're sure about this…sure about this…sure about this…_

* * *

**I just wanted to make a quick shout out to Mister Vincent Murray and islanddog1571: your reviews and support have helped me _so much_. If not for you guys, I would have much less inspiration and much less improvement. Thank you times a billion for constantly pushing me to push myself!**

**As always, please review!**


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Dawnpaw hadn't slept for two days.

She didn't really know what was going on outside her little world of two. Every moment was consumed with a fearful vigil over her mother. Amberslash had tried to coax her out of the medicine den, but Dawnpaw refused to leave Larksong's side. The feverish she-cat had only been getting worse, and every labored breath shot fear straight through Dawnpaw's spine. Her mother _couldn't_ die. She didn't know how she'd survive without her mother to help and guide her.

Her cloudy green eyes shot up as the sound of scuffling paws echoed into the cave. A knot of bodies hurried forward and dropped another cat into a waiting nest. Dawnpaw felt a sort of morbid curiosity. She padded forward.

"Brightpaw?" she whispered. Sandpelt shooed her back.

Her eyes hardened. "Does Sparkpaw know yet, or are you going to let him figure it out on his own?"

Sandpelt didn't answer. Dawnpaw slunk back to her mother, smoothing her pelt with a gentle brush of her tail. Hours began to tick slowly by again, broken only by Sandpelt bustling up to give poppy seeds to his patients. The symptoms were worse now—belly ache, troubled breathing, fever, hair loss.

If only this was something she could fight! The helplessness and fear were making her feel crazy. She didn't know how much longer she could stay in this stasis, caught between needing to act and knowing she couldn't.

A growl escaped Dawnpaw's teeth. She shot her mother one last glance and turned tail, streaking up to the exit of the cave.

The Clan was in a state of constant agitation. The hollow was a buzz of tense mutters… whispers of "we shared tongues just last night" or "StarClan had better send a miracle". Dawnpaw's tired eyes were locked on one place though, one place only, and the whispers slid off her pelt like grains of sand down the side of a dune. She didn't even realize she was running.

"Hawkstar!" she shouted. Her eyes took longer than they should have to adjust to the dim light of the leader's den, but it wasn't hard to make out the shape of the lanky leader curled up in his nest. His head raised slowly, his eyes—which looked as tired and bloodshot as her own— narrowed at the intrusion. Dawnpaw dug her claws into the sandy floor of the den.

"Hawkstar, someone has to _act_. Someone needs to stop this thing before more cats end up like Brightpaw, and my _mother_."

Hawkstar rose to his full height, forcing Dawnpaw to tip her head upwards. He leaned forward, and Dawnpaw could smell the rattlesnake on his breath as he replied, "You've seen Sandpelt. He's working as hard as he can."

"It's _not good enough_!"

Hawkstar hissed. "It's all we can do! Don't make the mistake of thinking you're the only one here who cares what happens to this Clan, Dawnpaw."

Dawnpaw turned, lashing her tail. "I can't believe you won't even send cats to search for a cure! That's what I'd do!"

"That's what you'd do, is it?" The deep growl was enough to make Dawnpaw pause. A sinking feeling told her that she'd gone a few pawsteps too far. Hawkstar advanced on her, his green eyes blazing with an anger that Dawnpaw had never seen before. "That's what you'd do? Dawnpaw, let me clear something up for you. You will _never_ be in my position. You are immature, conceited, and reckless, and too impatient for your own good. Amberslash tells me that you can't hunt—how could you hope to take care of a Clan when you can't even feed it?"

Dawnpaw backed away, ears flat against her head, tail down, feeling each word like a blow to her heart. Hawkstar shook his head angrily, tail beating the air. "Take a good look at yourself, kit. Your place is out there, learning to be a proper apprentice, not here. Get out."

She turned and ran.

~O~

Moonlight had washed the color from the world by the time Dawnpaw found her way into the medicine den. She could see a dark shadow curled up near her mother—Thistlepaw. _Good_, she thought. Larksong shouldn't be left alone. She slipped right past the pair of them and into the deeper shadows. It only took her moments to find her way back to the Moonpool. The miraculous little bush standing guard over the pool seemed to shiver. A single white flower broke from its stem as Dawnpaw's lips touched the water.

_"Featherfur!" Dawnpaw shouted. The warm sand and bright stars assured the apprentice that she was in the correct desert this time. The place was deserted on every horizon, however. Dawnpaw growled her frustration. First she was stymied in the waking world—the memory made her ears flatten to her head once again—and now StarClan itself was avoiding her! Couldn't they see that she just wanted to help her mother? Dawnpaw tipped her head up and howled "Featherfur!" to the starry sky._

_ "Dawnpaw." The cream apprentice whirled around. Sure enough, her mother's dead littermate, Brightpaw's mother, was standing before her eyes. _

_ "Featherfur, you need to help me, please. I need to know what to do!" _

_ Featherfur rolled her amber eyes and turned her back on Dawnpaw. The apprentice couldn't even believe her eyes for a moment. Sand sprayed behind her as she sprinted to catch up._

_ "Where are you going? The Clan needs help! Larksong and Brightpaw need help!"_

_ Featherfur stopped abruptly and shoved her face into Dawnpaw's. The apprentice cringed and flattened her ears. "Did you hear _nothing_ of what Hawkstar told you, Dawnpaw?"_

_ Dawnpaw took a tentative step back. Featherfur kept pace, eyes flashing. "You've been listening to too many elders' stories. It probably hasn't occurred to you that _you_ might not be the hero of this particular tale. You've slipped so quickly from being a promising apprentice to being a burden. You need to stop expecting special treatment. You need to stop trespassing where you don't belong."_

_ Dawnpaw found herself flat against the sand for a second time that day. How was it that a few cats' words could leave her feeling cracked wide open? Featherfur turned to leave._

_ "Is that it then? StarClan is going to do nothing?"_

_ Featherfur glanced coolly at Dawnpaw one last time. "Just because _you_ were not chosen does not mean we're doing nothing, Dawnpaw. It's time for you to grow up, fast."_

_ A blaze of white hot light blinded Dawnpaw…_

…and suddenly she was awake. She had never felt so cold, or so alone.

She leaned over and retched.

~O~

Thistlepaw had come into the medicine den after his patrol to find Dawnpaw missing and Larksong alone. He'd curled up next to her, licking her forehead once, dismayed by the heat radiating from her body. Brightpaw was curled up in a nest not far away, stirring restlessly and pawing at her stomach. He didn't notice the shadow unpeeling from a crevice in the wall as he went to fetch Sandpelt.

The call from outside startled him. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the HighRock for a Clan Meeting!" Sandpelt was suddenly awake and Brightpaw's sleepy mutters had turned to outright moans as she woke up. Larksong kept on sleeping like the dead. "That's a bad thought," Thistlepaw muttered.

"You should go." Sandpelt looked tired and overwrought, and Thistlepaw wasn't about to argue. His steps were delicate as he padded up through the den and into the gray predawn light.

Hawkstar was up on the HighRock. His pelt was ruffled—whatever sleep he'd gotten hadn't been peaceful.

"StarClan has given me a sign," he declared. The Clan broke into a cacophony of mutters. Hawkstar had to fight to be heard. "They reminded me that we have a kit who recently reached six moons and is in need of a mentor. Nightkit!"

Thistlepaw could see the little kit's sleepy eyes widen. The little black bundle of fur stumbled forward, trying to smooth the white bib on her chest as she did. Hawkstar stared gravely down at her. "Nightkit, from this day forward, you will be known as Nightpaw. Sandpelt will be your mentor. I know that the two of you will do wonders to ease the troubles of our Clan."

The mutters resumed again. Nightpaw glanced around nervously, ears flat. It was obvious that this was not how she'd imagined her apprentice ceremony would go. The quiet was suffocating.

"Nightpaw! Nightpaw! Nightpaw!"

The entire Clan turned as one to find the source of the cheering. Dawnpaw lifted her chin, green eyes unfathomable, and raised her voice even louder. Thistlepaw nodded and joined in, and slowly the Clan filled the hollow with cheers.

They died away quickly, however, and when they were done the Clan quickly dispersed, leaving Nightpaw to scurry into her new mentor's den. No matter how hard Thistlepaw looked, he couldn't find Dawnpaw. She'd vanished into the air, like a ghost. The black tom lashed his tail once and turned back to the apprentice den, hoping to catch at least a little bit of sleep.

He didn't even have energy left to worry about the way Dawnpaw's eyes had burned as the new apprentice had hurried away.

* * *

**So this one is a little shorter than usual, but I think I ended it right where I wanted to. I'm trying to pick up the updates and pack as much writing in this week as I can, because a week long vacation starts Monday, and after that things get really busy- but hey, c'est la vie.**

**As usual, please review!**


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

The Twolegplace rose up out of the rapidly thinning grass after three days of relentless travel. It was large and dirty and loud, and seemed to shroud itself in a perpetual cloud of dust. Rainpaw had never seen anything like it.

By the time they were close enough to smell the muddled, acrid smells of the city, the cats were padding on hard packed, sandy dirt. The sun was beating down harder than usual. Rainpaw glanced at Heatherclaw, trying to make sense of the wary expression on the she-cat's face.

A blaring noise wrenched Rainpaw's gaze from the creamy warrior to the vista ahead of them. His eyes grew as wide as saucers as a massive, shiny beast thundered across a black scar in the ground in front of them. The noise was incredible, as was the stench, and Rainpaw couldn't help but recoil as another and another followed at blinding speeds.

"What, never seen a Thunderpath before?" Tigerfrost sneered. Rainpaw glared at his mentor.

"You know I haven't," he growled back. His eyes returned to the scar, and the monsters that barreled along it in an endless line. So _this_ was a Thunderpath. He'd heard of them. He had heard that they smelled acrid, and that the monsters stayed glued to the path, and that as long as a cat was careful, it was possible to cross. Looking at the speed at which the monsters were hurtling by, though, Rainpaw was beginning to have doubts.

Tigerfrost seemed to sense his thoughts. "We just need to time it right," he said, but the faraway look in his eyes and the slight ruffling of his fur told Rainpaw that his mentor was scared too. Now _that _was frightening.

"On my signal…" Tigerfrost growled. Three more monsters blasted by. Rainpaw's heart was in his throat. "And… Now!" The group leaped forward as one, their paws skimming across the black pavement with the speed of fear. The Thunderpath was burning hot, and each step seemed to sear his pads. Rainpaw could hear the growling of monsters rushing up from the distance and tried to urge an extra burst of speed into his paws.

The roar went from muted to sharp and Rainpaw swung his head to the right to see the biggest monster yet bearing down on them. It made the ground shake, like each of its many round black legs was pounding down onto the ground. Rainpaw's world moved in slow motion in that instant. He could see all too clearly that he and Heatherclaw were not going to make it. Not unless they were very lucky… and that was all it took before Rainpaw tackled Heatherclaw to the burning pavement. His heart felt like it was going to stop as the massive monster barreled endlessly over the two cats.

"Rainpaw, Heatherclaw, get out of there!" came the faint shouts. Rainpaw lifted a dazed head and this time it was Heatherclaw's turn to save their skins. She clamped her teeth in his scruff and hauled the two of them off the Thunderpath just in time for a little silver monster to screech off into the distance.

Swanblossom tackled Rainpaw to the ground and nuzzled him for injuries. He could feel her shaking. "Are you hurt? You foolish kit, don't _do_ that," she muttered over and over.

Rainpaw tried to blink off his stupor. "Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine," he mumbled. His blue gaze flitted over everyone in the group and he realized that everyone looked frazzled. Nightclaw was the only one who looked even a little sane.

Her yellow eyes fixed on Tigerfrost. "So maybe next time, we _don't _go on your signal," she jabbed, and for once the massive tabby had nothing to say.

No one had anything to say, and the horrible smell and the horrible sound of the monsters rushing by was not helpful when all Rainpaw wanted was a break. He levered himself to his paws and said, "This isn't the place to rest. Let's move." It was both surprising and gratifying to see that they followed him—but it wasn't long before Tigerfrost moved to the front and regained control.

Still, Rainpaw couldn't help but grin.

After the hurdle of the Thunderpath, the rest of the trip into the Twolegplace was easy. It wasn't long before the patrol was out of the hot sun and huddled against an impossibly straight wall of one of the Twoleg's dens. The creatures themselves walked in and out of the den carrying items in their arms and, most horrifying of all, hopping into the bellies of the same monsters that had almost killed the patrol. The smell of this alleyway was hardly better than the Thunderpath, except instead of an acrid, burning smell, now the smell was that of vegetation rotting in the hot sun.

Rainpaw didn't care though. Now that all the fear had leeched from his body, he felt unimaginably tired. The rest of the patrol had settled in, either for naps or just to sit and process their brush with death, all except Nightclaw. She was eerily calm through all of this—it was unsettling. _Maybe I'll just take a nap,_ Rainpaw thought sleepily. His eyes were flickering closed when he saw something.

It was just the slightest little flicker in his vision, so small he would have missed it if he hadn't been staring exactly at it. Rainpaw pulled himself to his paws and stalked down the alleyway after it. _It's probably just a rat,_ he thought to himself, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He stuck his head around the intersection between his alley and another and then crept forward, around a pile of shiny black sacks filled with more of that rotting smell. He could hear something… Rainpaw shot forward and slammed the little gray body to the ground.

"Help! Get off me, I'm sorry, get off!"

Rainpaw's ears pressed against his head. "Shut up, would you?" The kit was giving him a headache.

"Help!" Rainpaw cuffed the little gray ball of fluff upside the head and he fell silent. The sound of pawsteps behind him told the apprentice that the patrol had caught up to him and his "prey".

"What have we here?" Nightclaw drawled. Rainpaw flicked an ear at her in irritation.

"He was lurking."

Tigerfrost shouldered his way forward and leered down at the kit. "Now, little kit, what were you doing lurking?" Rainpaw lifted his paws from the kitten and the little furball tried to sprint away. He squealed out loud as Tigerfrost slammed a massive paw down on his tail. The gray kit looked like a mouse and Tigerfrost looked as though he were ready for dinner.

"I won't repeat myself," Tigerfrost growled, his teeth inches from the kitten's ear.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he squeaked. Wide brown eyes scanned back and forth amongst the members of the patrol, looking for a friendly face. "I didn't mean nothing, I'm just hungry and I saw you guys and I thought it'd be better to split," he said, the words tumbling from his lips.

Rainpaw met his mentor's eyes. "He might know something about this place," he suggested. Tigerfrost narrowed and bent to the kitten with a grin.

"Now, you're going to tell us all about yourself and this place, little kit, or else."

That was all it took for the little gray to spill everything he knew. He said his name was Rambo and that, until recently, he'd been in the gang of the local boss—whatever that meant—a cat named Bone. This boss was holed up beneath a building in the middle of the Twolegplace. Rainpaw's ears flicked in confusion at some of the words the kitten used—what were words like city, Cutter, and house supposed to mean? When Rambo was finished telling them everything there was a moment of silence. Rainpaw could read his mentor's thoughts as clear as day. Should they kill the kit now that they knew everything he knew? The little thing was trembling.

"Can you lead us to Bone's den?" Rainpaw asked. Rambo's brown eyes locked onto Rainpaw's as he nodded rapidly. Rainpaw lowered his voice as he muttered, "Maybe we should keep him, as a guide."

It took a moment for him to decide, but when he did, Tigerfrost bared his teeth at the kit. "Don't try to run now, kit, or you'll regret it," he growled, and the massive paw was gone from Rambo's tail. He stalked away down the alley, rumbling, "Break's over," as he went.

"Welcome to the patrol, Rambo," Rainpaw said, and he nudged the kit to his feet. The little gray offered a shaky grin in return.

The patrol walked for hours more, trying to wind their way closer to the interior of the Twolegplace. It was deceptively large, and all of it was loud, dirty, dusty, hot, and smelly. The nests may not have reached far into the sky like the forests beneath Rainpaw's home, but they certainly towered over the cats as they slunk through the bloody red sunset and shadows. Rambo obviously had a destination in mind as he streaked forward at the front of the group. Rainpaw was content to follow, seeing no reason to mistrust the little gray kit.

"Here we are!" Rambo finally announced, standing in front of a decrepit nest that looked about one puff of wind away from blowing over.

Swanblossom was the first to say what they were all thinking. "Are you sure it won't fall on us in our sleep?"

Rambo let out a nervous chuckle. "No, ma'am, I promise it's safe, just come inside and I'll show you." He wiggled in through a crack in the wall and the patrol had no other choice but to follow. Rainpaw had to shove himself through the hole and winced as he felt fur ripping from his pelt. Since when had he been this big?

"Woah," he said. The inside of this nest was _huge_, and empty except for some sort of wooden construction pushed up against one wall. It had four long legs and a slab over the top, and it looked like just about the sturdiest thing Rainpaw had ever seen that wasn't made of stone. Rambo was already sitting underneath it on a nest made of an eclectic set of items, most of which Rainpaw had never seen before. The patrol slowly filed in and one by one took places underneath the table. Before he curled up and went to sleep, Tigerfrost grumbled, "Rainpaw gets the first watch."

Rainpaw sighed. "Of course," he muttered. Rambo blinked at him curiously and Rainpaw felt suddenly self-conscious in front of the kit. He studied the rogue out of the corner of his eye and nearly winced in sympathy at the collection of scars that studded his young pelt. The kit hadn't even lost his kit-fluff yet and he already had more scars than Rainpaw and Swanblossom put together. A particularly nasty one cut through the little tom's white bib. Rambo seemed to sense the scrutiny and rubbed a white paw uncomfortably over his ears.

Rainpaw paced out into the middle of the den. "How did you get those?" Rainpaw asked, flicking his tail back at Rambo. The kit seemed scared for a moment before he hesitantly joined Rainpaw.

"Well I was the runt back home," Rambo whispered in reply. Rainpaw's nose twitched uncomfortably at the matter-of-factness in the kit's voice. "And I was never very good at much… Bone always said I was too stupid to be able to hunt, and I'm not so good at fighting."

Rainpaw glanced up at the moonlight streaming in through a window and sighed. "Well, maybe when we get our mission sorted out, we can change some of that," he said. Why did life have to keep getting more complicated? Rainpaw nudged Swanblossom awake and then settled down for a well-deserved night of rest.

~O~

The morning dawned brightly, and the light shining in from the window easily roused Rainpaw from his sleep. He was surprised to find Rambo curled up right next to him. Everyone else was awake and gathered in the middle of the den. Rainpaw padded forward, hoping that there was freshkill waiting for him.

Tigerfrost glowered at him. "You'll have to catch your own," he growled. Rainpaw's mouth watered uncontrollably at the thought of a nice juicy mouse. Swanblossom flicked her tail at a yawning portal at the back of the nest and Rainpaw trotted off to find breakfast. It took a frustrating amount of time before he was able to locate even a single piece of prey, and even then it was a scrawny excuse for a mouse. He turned back to the main area only to see a pair of hopeful brown eyes swimming up out of Rambo's gray face.

"You've got to be kidding me," he growled. The kit's face instantly fell and Rainpaw growled again, knowing that he couldn't _not_ give him the mouse. He tossed the scrawny prey at the kit and grumpily went off in search of another piece of underfed Twolegplace prey.

By the time Rainpaw was finally forced to admit defeat, everyone else in the patrol was annoyed at him for taking so long. Rambo led the way once more through streets that became busier as the morning wore on. The patrol was still tired and, in Rainpaw's case, hungry.

Rainpaw nearly hissed as Swanblossom fell back to walk beside him. There was always another lecture! Obviously he'd never be old enough to live his own life as long as his nagging half-sibling was around. True to form, Swanblossom had a pinched expression on her face as she launched into it.

"You're getting in the habit of picking up strays," she said. Rainpaw bristled. What was that supposed to mean? "First Heatherclaw, and now this kit?"

"His name's Rambo."

"Rainpaw, just listen for once! You're playing a dangerous game here, and the more you go against OneClan's status quo, the less anyone can protect you! Froststar likes you best, but lately you've been pushing and pushing, and he's got a much shorter temper than you think. You don't want to be on the receiving end of it!"

Rainpaw lashed his tail and hissed back, "Let me make my own decisions, Swanblossom. You don't think I know how to look after myself? The last time I checked, picking up Rambo was the best thing to happen to this patrol. And don't forget, it was Heatherclaw who even told us about this place!"

Swanblossom shook her head angrily. "You still have no idea how the world works, Rainpaw. That's going to get you killed. I'm _begging_ you, stop stepping forward and learn to _blend in_."

"Let me deal with my own life, Swanblossom, I don't need your help," Rainpaw scoffed. Before she could say anything else, Rainpaw swept forward to the front of the group.

Rambo seemed nervous. "I think we're getting close," he said.

"You _think_?"

The kit cringed. "Well it _smells_ close," he whimpered. _StarClan,_ had any of them been paying attention? Rainpaw froze and scented the air a few moments too late. Before he even had the chance to shout, the rogues had unpeeled from the shadows. As his cry finally fell from his lips, the rogues were already in the air, claws poised to slash and kill.

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